A Huntress in the World of Heroes and Villains (RWBYxDC Universe)
by Yoshidragon1
Summary: When Weiss gets caught in a fight between a dimension-hopping hero and a time-travelling villain, she ends up in an unknown world where heroes and villains are constantly at war over the safety of not only planet Earth, but the entire universe. If Weiss wants to get home, she'll need to ally herself with the heroes of this world, including a certain Kryptonian clone...
1. An Enemy from a Different Dimension

Icy winter air blew over the Schnee estate, carrying with it tiny snowflakes that landed over the courtyard softly, creating a snowy landscape over the Schnee manor which glowed in the soft silver light of the shattered moon.

Despite the icy temperature, Weiss remained unfazed and continued her training, already accustomed to the temperature after living in Atlas her entire life. She wore her usual blue/gray combat skirt with gray wedges as well as some sapphire jewelry, all of which did nothing to help protect against the icy wind.

Weiss walked forward and watched as the icy winds picked up and swirled around her, causing her hair, to sway to the side, collecting stray snowflakes as they whirled around her.

Shapes began to form out of the ice crystals, taking form as the snowflakes gathered and the winds swirling around her intensified, forming creatures that Weiss was all too familiar with.

All around her were monsters of her own creation, Summons made of ice, snow, and her own Aura, which were not only there to help her train her technique, but to also strengthen her Aura. She wanted to be able to summon as many Grimm as Winter could and after weeks of training, she was getting very close to her goal.

In total, she had created three Boarbatusks, five Lancers, two Beowolves, and one Ursa. The strain from Summoning them all at once was already starting to set in, but it was nowhere near as hard as it was when she started.

Weiss nodded at the Grimm and they all charged at her at once.

The Lancers, being the quickest, came at her first, shooting their barbs with deadly speed and accuracy. Weiss created a Glyph under her and backflipped out of their way and into the air, creating another Glyph which she used to propel herself at the Lancers, taking out all five Lancers in one go.

When Weiss landed on the ground, she was faced with the Boarbatusks rolling towards her, their sharp tusks eager to rip her to shreds. Loading some Energy Dust, she created a cyan Glyph in front of her that stopped the Boarbatusks in their tracks and gave her the perfect opening to strike them in their unprotected bellies with one wide slash.

Weiss heard the Beowolves coming up from behind her, so she quickly loaded her Fire Dust and slashed another wide arc through the air, sending a sharp blaze that sliced through the Beowolves and grazed over the Ursa.

Angry that it had been burned, the Ursa charged at Weiss, swiping at her with a huge paw that sent her flying, despite trying to block it with Myrtenaster.

Not staying down for long, Weiss created another Glyph that she used to propel herself towards the Ursa, landing a slash in its side before speeding herself away with another Glyph.

The Ursa roared and charged at her one last time, barely giving Weiss enough time to load her Light Dust and propel herself off her Glyph, aiming a perfect strike at the Ursa's head, disintegrating it immediately as the Light Dust filled its body and burned it from the inside out.

Sighing with relief, Weiss leaned on her rapier for a second, feeling the strain from using so much Aura start to set in.

Someone started clapping from behind her, prompting her to turn around and see her beloved butler, Klein, standing there with a plate with a steaming cup of coffee on it and a smile on his face.

"Well done, Snowflake, I'm sure Winter is very proud of your progress." He complimented, smiling as Weiss took the coffee from his serving plate.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape her butler's kindness, Weiss nodded and smiled softly. "Thank you, Klein. I'll be back inside in a moment."

Klein's eyes changed from brown to yellow and a worried smile appeared on his face. "Yes, but I hope you aren't pushing yourself too hard. After all, you and the rest of Team RWBY worked so hard to get here, and after what you, your sister, and your mother did to overthrow your father, I think you deserve the rest."

"I've been through a lot recently, and I'm sure the worst has yet to come. I need to be prepared." She responded, a frown starting to form on her face as she remembered almost dying in Mistral and fighting all the Grimm on the way to Atlas.

He nodded and took the tray and the now empty mug of coffee with him back inside the manor. Weiss knew that he was right, but for some reason she didn't want to call it quits just yet.

She wanted to experiment with her Summoning- to test its limits.

Weiss knew that Summoning was something that she didn't need to use Dust for, but that left her thinking, _what if I did use Dust?_

With a new sense of resolve, Weiss turned Myrtenaster's revolver so that it landed on the most powerful Dust she had, Light Dust. Weiss took in a deep breath and let the Light Dust flow into Myrtenaster, making the runes that were along the rapier glow brightly.

Exhaling, Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground and created a Summoning Glyph. She smiled victoriously when she found that the Light Dust was reacting well with the Summoning Glyph, but she was surprised to see that the design on her Glyph was different than when she normally summons Arma Gigas, her giant white knight.

The Glyph displayed what looked to be a trumpet, or some kind of horn instrument in place of the swords that usually surrounded her snowflake emblem which was in the middle of the Glyph, as usual.

Weiss gasped when she felt a foreign energy mix with her Aura energy that was flowing through the Summoning Glyph.

She tried to cancel the Glyph, afraid of what might go wrong, but she couldn't. Instead, she watched helplessly as the Glyph raised itself off the ground and grew bigger, spinning as it gained more and more power.

Weiss stiffened and pulled Myrtenaster out of the ground, sensing that her Glyph hadn't summoned something, but rather... _opened_ something. Or at least, started to open something.

She sensed that the Glyph was like a door that had a lock on both sides. If someone wanted to open it, then it would have to be unlocked from both sides.

 _And I think I just unlocked the first side._

As if right on cue, the sound of a horn filled the air and the Glyph glowed a bright silver color, spilling out so that eventually a full portal was opened in her courtyard. Foreign energy, energy that didn't come from Dust or Aura, intermingled with her own as the portal stayed open.

A flash of light blinded her for a second before two men came out of the portal, each fighting for dear life. One man seemed to be in his forties, wearing a strange yellow metal suit while the other one seemed younger, still a teenager, and was wearing a dark blue cloak with silver accents and a mask.

He had what looked to be a trumpet at his side, reminding Weiss of Flynt Coal, but judging by the sound that she heard when the portal opened, Weiss could tell that that trumpet was no ordinary instrument.

The two fought and Weiss for some reason could do little more than watch as these two strangers opened portals and went through them at whim, going wherever or whenever they wanted without a second thought while the original portal stayed open, glowing brightly as the two fought.

"You'll never escape, Warp!" The boy shouted as he followed the older man, apparently named Warp, through another portal.

Warp cackled as they went through the portal and it shut after them. For a moment, everything was silent. The only sound Weiss heard was the wind and the soft sound of the snowflakes hitting the ground.

Suddenly, a portal opened in the sky and a limp body fell towards the ground, landing with a sickening thud.

Warp jumped out of the portal a few seconds after, a wicked smile on his face. "It seems that your time is up, Herald."

When Herald groaned in pain, Weiss felt a surge of disgust and anger go through her. She didn't know where they came from or why they were fighting, but cold-blooded murder was something Weiss could not abide by.

Creating a Time Dilation Glyph, Weiss charged at Warp, slashing him across the chest and sending him flying away from them.

Weiss quickly kneeled by Herald and checked to see if he was breathing. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard a light wheezing sound coming from him.

"And I thought that there were no superheroes in this plane of existence. I guess I was wrong. Who might you be, young girl?" He got up shakily, blood already seeping from Weiss' attack.

 _Why didn't his Aura protect him? Did Herald already break it?_

Weiss didn't know why he didn't have any Aura coming off him or Herald for that matter, but she took it as a blessing that she had some advantage over him.

Weiss stood up and readied her weapon. "I think the better question would be who are you? You mentioned something about this plane of existence. Am I right to assume that you and Herald aren't from this dimension?" She asked, her tone as icy as her emblem.

The whole idea was bizarre and hard for Weiss to swallow, but she had more pressing matter at hand, so she tried not to dwell on it.

"Perceptive girl. I probably shouldn't tell you, but seeing as you'll be dead soon, I hardly see the problem." He wiped the blood off his yellow suit and grinned, revealing equally yellow teeth.

"You see, little girl, Herald and I were gifted with the ability to move through space-time. I seek to conquer worlds with my gift, worlds like this little one which are devoid of nuisances such as the Justice League, but Herald here has made it his goal to drive a wedge in every single one of my plans." He grinned wickedly as he took in Herald's state. "But seeing as Herald is on death's door and there are no obnoxious superheroes here to stop me, I think taking this lovely little world will be easier than I thought."

 _He obviously knows nothing about Remnant if he thinks Salem or Ozpin will let him take it over._

"There may not be any so-called superheroes here, but," Weiss created a Glyph under her, causing Warp's eyes to widen. "I think you'll find it much harder to conquer than you'd think."

He laughed and readied himself. "So where did you get your powers from, hmm? A radioactive blizzard? That magic sword?"

Weiss decided that the less the man knew about Remnant, the better. "You have ten seconds to leave this world and never return."

"What a shame. I admit, I was growing fond of your icy demeanor, but, if you wish." He cackled and created a portal which created a powerful wind tunnel that nearly sucked her right in if she hadn't used Gravity Dust to keep her down.

While she was focused on keeping herself from flying into the portal, Warp opened another one directly over her, letting a huge river of lava crash down from the sky.

Using some more Gravity Dust, Weiss directed the lava towards Warp who shielded himself by using another portal which sent the lava to another unknown place, hopefully back to the volcano it came from.

"So, it seems you can control gravity as well as the perception of time with this peculiar magic of yours. I wonder what else you can do?" He smiled psychotically, as if he was only toying with her.

Weiss glared at him and stood up, readying some Wind Dust and Water Dust, eager to let loose some ice on the sociopath. "I have no interest in playing games, so if it's all the same to you..." Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground and created an Ice Glyph under Warp, freezing him solid in a giant block of ice before he had the chance to open another portal.

Weiss stood there for a few seconds to catch her breath and make sure that she had truly frozen Warp and that he couldn't somehow open another portal while frozen in a block of ice. When she was sure that the coast was clear, Weiss ran back to Herald whose condition was rapidly worsening.

"Herald! Do you think you can stand? I need to get you inside. I have a friend who can-" Weiss was cut off by a series of violent coughs and a firm grip on her wrist.

"D-don't." Herald coughed up some blood, turning on his side so he wouldn't get it on Weiss. "Thanks for taking care of- " He coughed up more blood. "Warp. I only have enough power to keep that portal open for a little while longer. I need-" More blood. "You to push us through it. My people will know what to do from there."

"But-" She tried to protest.

Herald coughed up more blood, except it was starting to turn a revolting brown color. "I'm done for. Just help me get us back to our world so that your world can stay safe."

Weiss wanted to say that her world probably wasn't much safer than his, but she refrained from doing so and just nodded.

Using a Glyph to help Herald up without hurting him, they both walked over to the frozen block of ice Warp was trapped in.

He stepped away from Weiss and saluted her, erupting into a coughing fit, trying and failing to keep his coughs in. "Thanks. Without you, I probably would've been-"

Herald's last words were forever ingrained in Weiss' mind as she saw a portal open over Herald, releasing a blast of energy that incinerated Herald in an instant, reducing him to nothing more than ash.

His horn fell to the ground, still in perfect condition despite the blast that had just killed its owner.

Horrified, Weiss turned to see Warp's smug grin as he set his sights on the portal and limped towards it, ice still covering his suit. Somehow, he had managed to thaw himself out while she was distracted with Herald, but Weiss wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Creating a powerful Glyph under her that was charged with the full force of her emotions, Weiss loaded Light Dust into Myrtenaster and charged at Warp. "You monster!"

Right as he was about to go through the portal, Weiss thrust Myrtenaster into Warp's abdomen, creating a bright light that erupted from her rapier, the energy from the Dust clashing with the energy from the portal, causing the portal to become unstable.

Warp's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "N-no! Stop it! Cease your magic this instant! If you don't, my powers will-"

Gold and white light flowed from the portal, wrapping around Warp in tendrils, dragging him back through the portal.

The tendrils that wrapped around him also wrapped around Myrtenaster, but instead of drawing it in, it seemed as if the light was actually going into the rapier.

"No!" He snarled, scrambling to fight the pull of the light that was draining him of his energy and dragging him backwards.

When the light going into Myrtenaster subsided, Weiss used a Glyph to get away from Warp, keeping her eyes on him as she jumped backwards. When Weiss landed however, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, causing her to trip over Myrtenaster's case and fall on the ground.

"I refuse to lose my powers and let you go free! If I suffer, then at least I'll get the satisfaction knowing that you won't ever return to this world again!" He cackled, using the last of his power that was quickly draining into the portal to create another one under Weiss. "I'll see you in my world, Ice Queen!" His cackles turned into screams as he was sucked into the portal that was draining him of his power.

Weiss tried using a Gravity Glyph to counter the pull of the portal that had formed under her, but it was too much for her to handle after using so much Aura during her training session and fighting Warp.

She heard the door to the mansion open and she saw the rest of Team RWBY as well as Oscar standing there, horrified and confused looks on their faces as they started to run towards her.

"Don't worry about me! I'll be back!" She yelled over the howling winds coming from the portal, trying as hard as possible to keep the Gravity Glyph going.

"Weiss, what is that?!" Oscar yelled, the rest of RWBY too scared to even speak.

"A portal to another dimensional plane! I don't know where I'm going either, but I'll be back, I promise!" Weiss smiled at her team as they rushed across the courtyard, wanting their possibly last memory of her to be of her smiling.

Weiss felt her Aura cracking under the pressure. She knew that Ruby's Semblance wasn't fast enough to save her from the portal, and she didn't want to run the risk of them going with her, so she did what any honorable Huntress would do.

She dispelled her Glyph and let herself fall through the portal, taking one last good look at her friends because she knew that it would be a while before she saw them again.

"I love you guys."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 ** _A.N. And there we have it! Ever since it got announced that DC was going to make some RWBY comics, I've been dying to try to write something like this._**

 ** _This story is centered around Weiss so other characters from RWBY won't be making very many appearances, though that may change depending on how the story goes from here._**

 ** _As for the DCU, I'm going to take different characters from different continuities like Superboy from Young Justice and the Teen Titans from the Cartoon Network version and the Justice League from the movies and put them into the same universe since not all iterations of the same character have the same skills or personalities in the same universe._**

 ** _This story is also on AO3 and it'll also feature some pictures and gifs that I think go well with the story or just random ones that I like to go along with the regular chapter._**

 _ **Thanks so much for reading and comment with any questions!**_ Until next time!


	2. A Whole New World

When Weiss came to, she felt weightless. Winds were whipping around her rapidly and the only solid thing she could get a hold of was Myrtenaster and its case.

When she opened her eyes, she had to stop herself from screaming as she plummeted from the sky into what looked to be a gigantic city that easily rivaled Vale in size.

She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself, glad that she could even breathe in this world's atmosphere which was thankfully similar to Remnant's. She could only hope that it was similar enough that she would be able to use Dust, otherwise she would be at severe disadvantage if she needed to fight people like Warp again.

Focusing, Weiss felt the familiar surge of power that she felt whenever she used her Semblance and she

smiled victoriously.

 _Falling out of the sky doesn't seem so scary after all._

As she was falling, Weiss noticed something silver falling about ten feet away from her. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Herald's horn. Using a Glyph, Weiss brought it over to her and hooked Myrtenaster to her side so that she could hold everything without trouble.

A green canopy of trees came into view, prompting her to Summon just the arm of her Arma Gigas, sliding down its sword to lose some of her momentum as she jumped down along Glyphs until she made it safely through the trees and onto the ground.

"That was too close for my liking." She muttered, looking around the rather dense forest, despite the fact that it was smack dab in the middle of a concrete jungle.

Weiss pulled out her Scroll and opened it, only to see that she had absolutely no signal, not even for short distance communication. Even her favorite puzzle apps weren't functioning.

Out of sheer curiosity, she clicked on the camera app, and in an underwhelming turn of events, it was the only working app on her Scroll.

 _Great. Now if I run into trouble, at least I can take pictures._

Hooking Herald's Horn to her side, Weiss drew Myrtenaster and walked along the nearest pathway which would hopefully get her back to civilization sooner rather than later.

"Maybe I can try opening another portal with Light Dust again. If I was able to open the portal here, I should be able to do it in reverse, right?"

She sighed, stabbing her rapier into the ground.

 _I'm already talking to myself. Good to know that five minutes in isolation is all it takes for me to go crazy._

Shaking it off and finding a new resolve, she loaded Light Dust and created another Summoning Glyph. She thought back to Remnant and her friends, but when the Glyph was charging, she didn't get the same sensation as before.

Instead of feeling as if she was prying something open, she had felt as if she was creating something, prompting her to sigh and pull Myrtenaster out of the ground.

A Boarbatusk Summon stared back at her curiously, awaiting her command.

"Ugh." Weiss groaned, dispelling the Summon and continuing to walk along the path.

 _Now how am I going to make it back to Remnant?_

Eventually she made her way out of the forest and into a clearing which had a pond, a small playground, and a few families around it, playing and going about their day.

Farther away she could see some rather tall buildings piercing the skyline. The city wasn't as extravagant or technologically advanced as Atlas, but it certainly was grand.

She looked up and she saw nothing but blue sky for miles and miles, the only familiar thing she had yet to encounter.

That is, until dark storm clouds rolled in, turning the bright and sunny day into a gloomy one.

 _That's strange, it was sunny just two seconds ago._

But then Weiss remembered that she wasn't on Remnant anymore.

 _Who knows what the weather's like here. Maybe this is normal._

"AAAAHHHHH!"

 _Nevermind._

The Grimm may not exist in this world, but after fighting Warp, it was clear that they had their own problems.

She created a line of Glyphs in the direction of the screams, noting that as she left the forest and got closer to the city, the clouds got darker and the wind started to pick up.

Lightning flashed across the sky while thunder bellowed and shook the city to its core. A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck one of the trees across the path from Weiss, causing it to light on fire and fall in front of her.

She loaded Gravity Dust and used black Glyphs to lift it up in the air, keeping it from setting fire to the rest of the forest. She then loaded Water Dust and created a blue Glyph which shot out a geyser, putting out the fire quickly.

"Whew. That was a close-"

Before she could finish her sentence, hailstones the size of basketballs started raining down from the sky.

She looked up and saw a particularly large hailstone plummeting down towards her, forcing her to use a Gravity Glyph, stopping it right as it was about to crush her skull.

 _What's causing this insane weather?_

"Screw your local forecasts because the Weather Wizard is in town!" A voice boomed among the thunder and lightning.

Weiss looked up and saw a man wearing a bright green costume that only villains in Ruby's comic books wore, waving a bright green wand around like a crazy person while the storm grew more intense around him.

She couldn't see much more than that because of how far he was, perched on top of a skyscraper with an antenna at the tip.

"No heroes to stop me now!" He bellowed, somehow projecting his voice as thunderclaps, the sound almost deafening. "New York City, find me the hero Herald in the next hour, otherwise…"

Wind starting swirling in the sky, forming a tornado that grew until its size rivaled the building that the Weather Wizard was standing on. "I'll huff and puff, and blow your city down."

Weiss looked at the instrument at her side and back at the villain terrorizing the apparent city of New York.

 _There's no way I'm letting some psycho get his hands on Herald's horn._

Her decision made, she looked around until she saw the biggest, sturdiest tree and used Earth Dust to dig a hole under it, putting the horn inside Myrtenaster's case, and then placing the case inside the hole.

She took a picture of it, knowing that she wouldn't remember what it looked like later.

Covering it up and packing it tight with a mixture of Earth and Gravity Dust, Weiss turned back to the villain at the top of the skyscraper.

"There are no heroes around, so it looks like a Huntress will have to do."

A Summoning Glyph appeared in front of her, an ethereal Queen Lancer appearing before her. Without any further contemplation, Weiss jumped on and flew upwards, intent on stopping the psycho before he could hurt anyone.

Lightning surged around her as she did her best to navigate the storm amid strong winds and hail, though her Queen Lancer wasn't the most agile Summon.

Eventually the lime green psycho saw her flying towards him, causing the storm around her to intensify.

When the hail got too big to handle, Weiss created an Ice Glyph and stopped the hail around her, directing it at the Weather Wizard.

Before it could hit him, he clapped his hands together and let loose a thunderclap that crushed the ice and disintegrated her Summon, forcing her to create a Glyph to stand on.

"I was hoping that there wouldn't be about heroes in New York to interfere with my plans, but it looks like Frozen on Broadway ended early today." He jeered, as if Weiss even knew what Frozen or Broadway were. "Just go on about your day, Elsa, if you wanna make it out alive. My business is strictly with Herald."

She readied Myrtenaster, not liking the green bean's nickname for her. "Herald was- is a friend of mine, and I don't think he needs to concern himself with someone like you. And my name is _Weiss Schnee_ , not Elsa."

The moss colored man looked at her curiously. "You're a strange one, Ice Queen. Most heroes tend to go to rather strenuous lengths to keep their identities hidden."

Weiss created a circle of Ice Glyphs around him. "Let's just say that I don't plan on letting you remember my name."

In an instant she launched a barrage of ice shards at him, which he tried to block with his wand. Eventually she knocked him off the tip of the building and onto the roof below them.

Inverting her Glyph, she shot herself at him, only for the Weather Wizard to wave his wand and blast her with a big gust of air, blowing her back into the air.

Irritated, Weiss stood on a Gravity Glyph, loaded Wind Dust, and shot a vortex of wind from Myrtenaster's tip, canceling out the winds that he was throwing at her.

Seeing as how he could only do one thing at a time with that wand, Weiss took the opportunity to create a Gravity Glyph under him, launching him in the air and leaving him open for her to strike. Using multiple Glyphs, she jumped around and slashed at him, but it didn't take long for the Weather Wizard to regain his bearings and use the winds around him to fly, allowing him to block her strikes.

Neither side let up, but as they faced off, lightning streaked around her, getting too close for comfort.

"You're good… but it looks like you lack the ability to watch your back!"

A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck Weiss in the back, burning through her Aura. "Aaahh!"

She got knocked off her Glyph and fell back onto the building, the electricity coursing through her entire body.

"This is what happens when newbie heroes bite off more than they can chew. Let this be a lesson, Ice Queen" The Weather Wizard cackled, calling down more lightning bolts to strike her.

Gritting her teeth, Weiss reinforced her Aura and loaded Lightning Dust. She stabbed Myrtenaster into the floor beneath her and created a Lightning Glyph underneath her, forming a ring of swirling electricity around her. She stood up and slashed Myrtenaster at him, redirecting the lightning away from herself and straight back to the Weather Wizard.

He caught it with his wand, but from the force of the lightning that he attacked her with and the electricity that her Dust had created, she blasted him back.

"Gah! You're gonna regret that!"

He pointed the wand to the sky and the air started to circulate around him, pulling the clouds along with it as well. More hail started to rain down on them as he focused all of the wand's power on the surroundings.

"It doesn't matter where in the universe I am, a criminal's a criminal, and my job as a Huntress is to make sure that you can't hurt anyone else."

Weiss created a Time Dilation Glyph underneath herself, the clock and gears on the Glyph spinning and spinning until the world around her slowed down.

Creating multiple Glyphs around the verdant villain, Weiss charged at him, slashing and slashing from each of the Glyphs until the time dilation wore off. She sent the Weather Wizard flying, his head colliding with the spire behind him making a nasty sounding *thunk*, his wand clattering to the ground.

The storm still raged on, even after she had knocked him out. As a last resort, she walked over and picked up the wand, snapping it in two and dropping it on the ground, crushing the halves into bits of crystal and wood.

"Not so tough without your toy, are you?"

The growing hurricane cleared almost instantly, returning the sky to its previous and much calmer state.

Weiss sighed and looked at the streets below her, noting the significant police force that was mounted around the building.

"That's not good."

Not wanting to incriminate herself or have a run in with the police, she cast another Time Dilation Glyph and Summoned a Queen Lancer, zipping back to the cover of the forest as quickly as she could.

By the time the Glyph wore off, she was already back in the forest, safe and away from prying eyes. She walked around until she found the playground that she was at earlier, with the tree that she stashed Myrtenaster's case and Herald's horn under.

When she found the tree however, her blood ran cold.

The tree was completely uprooted and a hole was dug in its place, her case missing.

"Looking for this, Ice Princess? Quite the show you put on up there."

Spinning Myrtenaster's revolver, Weiss turned around and pointed it at whoever dared to take her precious belongings.

Her eyes fell on a very tall, very muscular man-boy with short black hair, tan skin, steel blue eyes, high cheekbones, a slightly crooked nose that looked like it had been broken a few too many times, and a sharp jaw. His facial features and the intensity of his eyes made it harder for her to guess his age, but he couldn't have been older than nineteen.

He wore black sneakers, dark blue jeans, and a fitted black t-shirt which had a red and yellow diamond shaped emblem which had an S in it.

He was infuriatingly big for a teenager; his biceps had to be almost the size of her head and even with her heels, she couldn't reach past his chest.

Weiss' face turned pink, whether out of anger or embarrassment she wasn't quite sure.

"Give. It. Back. I don't know who you are, but you had no right to take my belongings."

"Who are you and why do you have Herald's Horn?" He asked, ignoring her previous statement. He pried open the case and took out the instrument, dropping the case on the ground.

His eyes were intense, but his stance didn't seem like he meant her any harm so she dropped her rapier, though she still kept her finger on the revolver just in case.

"Did you know Herald?"

He stepped back, as if he had been struck. "What do you mean, _'did'?"_

Weiss realized her mistake and tried to recover "Look-"

He stepped forward, making her back up, her back hitting a tree that she didn't realize was behind her. "I won't ask you again. Who are you and why do you have Herald's Horn?"

Weiss' has ice blue eyes locked with the stranger's steel ones and she pointed her rapier back to his chest. "I don't care for your tone and I don't have to explain myself to you. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

She moved to grab the instrument, but the man/boy raised it above his head, using his annoying height to keep it out of her reach, irritating her to no end.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" He asked forcefully, getting too close for Weiss' liking despite her rapier being pointed directly at his chest.

She knew she had to proceed with caution as she was in a foreign world, but he seemed to know Herald, and seeing as how the hero had mentioned having friends, she didn't have many options.

"Herald-"

"Superboy!" A male voice cut her off coming from a guy also around Weiss' age who seemed to come from out of nowhere. The only indication that he hadn't been invisible was the strong gust of wind that accompanied his arrival. "Have you found Herald yet?"

Though leaner than "Superboy" which Weiss guessed was an alias, the new guy still had more muscle than the average teenager and was also quite handsome with bright red hair, blue eyes, and a mischievous smile that just spelled trouble. He wore an odd yellow suit that had a lightning bolt emblem on his chest, confirming Weiss' suspicions that he had some form of speed related powers.

"No, but I found her falling out of the sky through a portal with a weapon in one hand and Herald's horn in the other. She took down Weather Wizard too and used some kind of magic to get back really fast. Should we call for backup?" He asked, making Weiss bristle at the thought of more suspicious superpowered people inspecting her.

 _He saw me use Time Dilation? I was at least a few thousand feet in the air, not to mention that my speed is increased tenfold when I use Time Dilation._

His abilities and demeanor already spelled trouble for Weiss. She needed people to trust and 'Superboy' wasn't exactly a great candidate.

Thankfully, the redhead seemed to have more tact than his friend. "Whoa, there, Superboy, calm down, we don't want to anger the pretty girl with the sharp sword, now do we?" He shot her a charming smile and stuck out his hand. "The name's Kid Flash. What's yours?"

Grateful to speak to someone with some social graces for a change, Weiss took his hand. "Weiss Schnee, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Kid Flash elbowed the bigger teen in the ribs."See, Superboy? I got her name all by being nice. You should try it some time." He grinned in an infectious brotherly kind of way, making Weiss smile too.

With Whitley, there wasn't much of a bond, but Kid Flash seemed like someone she would like to have as a brother growing up.

"But getting back to the matter at hand, I have to ask you where you got that horn. You see, it belongs to our friend Herald."

Weiss' grip tightened around Myrtenaster when he mentioned Herald, her eyes softening as she remembered what happened. .

"Herald's gone."

Kid Flash's boyish grin faltered and Superboy growled, stepping forward and grabbing her by the shoulders in an almost painful grip. "What was that?"

A tear fell down Weiss' face and she closed her eyes, the harsh memory of Herald's death painfully vivid in her mind.

Weiss sighed. "Herald was fighting Warp and somehow he ended up in my dimension. He was winning at first, but then Warp got the upper hand and took them both to another dimension."

Superboy's grip loosened but was still firm, now in a more comforting way. "When they came back, Herald was out of commission. Warp was going to kill him, but I intervened. I thought I had taken care of him, but as Herald was about to take them back to this world, Warp killed him."

Kid Flash stepped back as if he had been hurt and sat down on the ground, his eyes watering and unfocused. Superboy let Weiss go and started punching the nearest tree, reducing it to mere splinters by the time he was done with it.

"What about Warp?" Superboy rasped, his knuckles only slightly scratched despite just bludgeoning a tree.

"I stabbed him with..." Weiss wasn't sure how she was going to explain Dust and Aura from her world on top of Herald's death without overloading the two with information. "Light Dust. It's a form of energy from my world. It reacted with the energy from the portal and drained him of his powers, I think, but before he was completely sucked into his portal, he created one under me and sent me here."

Weiss hesitated, knowing that they wouldn't like what she said next. "I don't know if Warp's alive, but from what I saw, I think he's powerless now."

Superboy punched the ground, causing a tremor to surge through the entire surrounding area, rivaling Yang's or even Yatsuhashi's strength. "Our comrade died and the best you can give us is an _'I think'?"_ He growled.

Superboy was about to get closer but Kid Flash got up and stood between them, tears still in his eyes. "That doesn't matter right now. Warp is dispatched thanks to Weiss, and if she hadn't been there then I'm sure we'd have a lot more on our plate than we do now." Kid Flash wiped away any remaining tears, his voice now a little steadier. "We need to get back to the Titans and let them know that an Honorary Titan is down. After that, we need to let his family know so we can arrange a funeral."

Superboy let out an angry growl and turned his back to them. "I'm gonna go to the Justice League and let them know that Herald's been taken out and that Warp has been dispatched _temporarily."_ He glared at Weiss pointedly.

Without waiting for confirmation, he took to the skies with a sonic boom, flying faster than some of Atlas' finest jets.

She'd have to ask Kid Flash about this world later. They didn't have any Aura or seem to use any Dust, but yet, Weiss' own Dust worked and she was able to use her Glyphs easily, meaning that their atmospheres and the composition of the earth were similar.

Even so, this world seemed to have an abundant amount of people with powers that didn't come from Aura or Semblances.

"I'm sorry about Superboy. He has trouble controlling his emotions and he doesn't understand a lot about humans in general." Kid Flash explained, his demeanor still a little downtrodden.

The way he spoke about humans suggested that they weren't the only sentient race in existence in this dimension.

 _Are there Faunus in this world too?_

"You say humans as if he isn't one." Weiss pointed out, keeping her voice between casual and curious so as to not seem suspicious.

"It's complicated. I'm not sure how things are in your dimension, but humans are far from the only sentient race living on Earth, which is the planet that we're on, in case you didn't know." Kid Flash added, making Weiss grateful that he came in when he did, otherwise she would have to be getting information out of the ever graceful Superboy who seemed to like her as much as Whitley and her father did.

"I didn't, thank you." Weiss put Myrtenaster away in its case and picked up Herald's horn. "And in my world we have the Faunus, which are humans who have an animal trait."

Kid Flash grimaced, as if remembering a bad memory. "I've encountered some people like that, but I don't think there's an entire race on Earth."

He looked at her expectantly, confusing Weiss. "I'd love to ask more questions, but I think there are some people who need to hear this too. Right now we're in a city called New York, but we need to get to Jump City, which is too far to go by any conventional method, so just bear with me for a second."

"Wait, what-"

In a yellow and red blur, Kid Flash picked up Weiss and zoomed them across the country, getting them to Jump City in a matter of minutes.

It took exceptional focus and use of Aura to keep Weiss from vomiting the second that they stopped. She had experienced Ruby's Semblance, but not over great distances or for longer than three seconds.

"Sorry about that, but here we are, Titan Tower." Kid Flash apologized with a grin on his face, gesturing to the giant T-shaped building which loomed over the entire city from a small island on the bay.

"Woah…"

Weiss had trouble seeing the Titan Tower in all its entirety because of how big it was, barely noticing that Kid Flash was already walking towards the ground entrance.

Embarrassed, Weiss hurried after him, walking as fast as her legs would let her.

When they reached the door, Kid Flash entered a code and did a retina scan in front of a panel next to the door.

"Identification, please." A robotic voice prompted.

"Kid Flash."

In an instant, hundreds of guns and rockets came out from a compartment above the door and aimed themselves at Weiss.

"And guest." He added hurriedly, shooting her an embarrassed smile as the rockets and guns retracted. "Sorry about that. When our friend Cyborg left to join the Justice League he made sure that the Tower was well protected."

"Mission accomplished." Weiss breathed, her heart about to burst from all of the emotions that she had to experience that day.

They walked into the Tower and walked into an elevator which took them up to one of the top floors, the beautiful sunset shining across the city in a glorious image across the water of the bay, visible through the elevator which had a wall that was almost entirely glass.

Weiss' admiration of the city was cut off when the elevator door opened, revealing a giant room that was equipped with a kitchen, a dining table, a giant living room with an appropriately large television in front of an equally large circular couch.

Anxiously sitting at this couch was a group of teenagers all around Weiss' age, each one dressed as dynamically as Kid Flash and Superboy were.

 _"This is Lois Lane reporting from the streets of New York City. The long time Central City villain Weather Wizard recently tried to stage an attack on top of the Empire State Building but was stopped by an unknown heroine. Witnesses report seeing 'snow white hair' and 'snowflakes', and 'giant insects' but no heroine matching the description has been identified."_

They television blinked off and they all stood up when they heard the elevator open and they eyed Weiss warily. Even wearing a mask, Weiss could sense the raven-haired boy's apprehension who seemed to be the leader of this colorful group of heroes.

The raven-haired boy wore what looked to be green spandex tights, a yellow belt, a red shirt with a yellow R on it, and a black cape. He didn't seem to have any powers, but Weiss could tell that he didn't need them.

"Kid Flash, any news on Herald or the mystery hero who took down Weather Wizard?" He asked, only a hint of worry in his voice.

Kid Flash walked over to the couch and sat beside a girl with pink eyes, pink hair, and gray skin and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "She's right here, and I think our new friend can explain it to you better than I can."

Giving her another once over, the Titans finally took notice of the silver horn at her side.

A tall girl with red hair, green eyes, and orange skin stood up and held her hand out, sensing Weiss' own pain over the situation.

"Come, friend, tell us of your plight." She spoke with a strange, formal accent, making Weiss realize that with her orange skin she probably was one of the non-humans that Kid Flash had spoken of.

Tentatively, Weiss walked over to the couch and sat at the end of it, next to the kind red haired girl.

"What is your name? And what news do you have of our friend Herald?" She asked, worry evident in her eyes and her voice.

Weiss cleared her throat and drew in a deep breath to steady herself. "My name is Weiss Schnee, and as for Herald..." Weiss wiped a tear off Herald's horn. "He's dead."

Nobody spoke. A few tears fell down the red haired girl's face as well as a boy who also had green skin, but no one said a word.

A girl wearing a dark blue cloak who looked more angry than sad looked Weiss directly in the eye. "How?"

Weiss sighed and explained the whole situation to them, mentioning how she was from another world and how she had opened the portal halfway and how she had fought off Warp and drained his powers and then ended up in New York when the Weather Wizard attacked.

At the end of her story, Weiss felt a small, but strong hand land on her shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. When she looked up, she saw the pink haired girl sitting next to her, a sympathetic smile on her face. "You did the best you could."

"Yeah." Kid Flash agreed, zooming over to sit next to Jinx in an instant. "Any sane person would have gone running when Warp dropped a lake of lava on them but you stayed and you protected someone you didn't even know. That makes you a hero in our book."

Weiss tried to fight the tears, but they just kept coming, now fueled by the sadness of Herald's death and the Titans' kindness.

"How exactly did you fight off Warp and the Weather Wizard?" The green skinned boy with the pointy ears asked. "No offense, but you don't exactly look you're equipped to fight someone who can drop an anvil or a lake of lava on you with the snap of a finger."

"I am also curious about the powers that our new friend possesses." The green-eyed girl added.

Weiss stood up and took Myrtenaster out from its case and left it open so they could see the vials of Dust that she had in there as well. "All of the people from my world have the ability to access what's known as our Aura. "

The girl wearing the blue cloak stiffened but still listened intently as Weiss spoke.

"Aura is the manifestation of our souls. It protects us and helps us fight against our enemies and helps us channel the power of an energy source known as Dust which is what is in the vials in my sword and my case." Weiss gestured to the different colored vials and turned Myrtenaster's revolver so that it landed on Gravity Dust.

Looking at the Dust reserves in her sword, Weiss was surprised to see that they were completely full, despite having used all of them at least once since she last refilled them.

"How exactly does your Aura 'protect' you?" The girl in the purple cloak asked again, seeming interested in the idea of an Aura.

"And you mentioned enemies. What kinds of enemies are you talking about?" The boy in the green tights added, making sure that no detail was left out.

"Our Aura protects us from almost all damage that is dealt to us. It also depends on the type of person, but with Aura, slashes from a sword don't pierce the skin, bullets aren't fatal, and punches don't leave bruises. One of my teammates even got punched through a concrete pillar by a mech suit and she got up without a problem." Weiss laughed lightly at the memory which seemed so long ago.

"So, you're like totally invincible then?!" The boy with green skin and pointy ears exclaimed, looking at her in awe.

Weiss smiled but shook her head. "Our Aura has its limits. It can be trained to be stronger, but eventually if a person uses too much of it, whether it be from their Semblance or if they've taken too many hits, then they will be just as vulnerable as a person without Aura. When our Aura breaks, that usually means that we have to retreat."

"And Semblance...Is that your power?" Kid Flash asked, now feeling slightly better than he had been before.

Weiss nodded and held out her palm, creating a small Glyph over it. The kid with the green skin scooted as close as possible and stared at it with unbridled curiosity while the rest of the teens looked at it with caution.

"Every person in Remnant who has control over their Aura has a Semblance. We're not born with it though, and often times, our Semblance will only reveal itself in times of need."

"Did yours come while you were in a blizzard?" The pointy eared boy asked, poking at the Glyph and recoiling when he felt how cold it was, making Weiss giggle.

"Some people say that our Semblances are influenced by our personalities and our experiences, others say that it's the other way around and some people think that there's no correlation at all. Personally, I think that our personality and our experiences shape our Semblance. My Semblance is a bit of an outlier though, because it's one of the only known Semblances that's hereditary."

"Hereditary? Is that bad?" The pointy eared boy asked, making the girl in the blue cloak smack him upside the head.

"Hereditary means that it's passed down through family, Beast Boy." She rolled her eyes, making Beast Boy, apparently, smile guiltily.

"I suppose it's due to the fact that my family name, my family's legacy, is something that is extremely important to us and always will be."

"I don't want to get too much into detail, but my family is quite wealthy because of its monopoly over Dust. My family name is synonymous with Dust and technology and because of that, every Schnee is taught from birth that to uphold our family name is our purpose in life." Weiss felt her smile morph into a frown as she remembered all the times her father would scold her whenever she would spend time playing with Klein or doing other things that didn't involve singing or business.

"But anyways," She felt her face turn red at having spilled half her life's story to strangers. "My Semblance allows me to project my Aura into what we call Glyphs, which allow me to manipulate my surroundings to my advantage, whether it be to create platforms, or with the help of Dust, to manipulate gravity or even time."

"So…magic, then." The pink haired girl gathered.

Weiss really didn't want to have to explain the whole situation with Maidens and how they were the only ones with actual magic, but Weiss just decided that it would be better to keep things simple. "Limited, but I guess you can say that."

"And your enemies?" The girl in the purple cloak reminded.

She nodded and tried to think of a simple way to explain the Grimm. "As for our enemy...For centuries, probably since the dawn of time, the Creatures of Grimm have been attacking humanity and its creations. They're the embodiment of pure darkness and negativity. They're drawn to negative emotions and will even work together at times to kill any and all humans in the vicinity."

Weiss took in a deep breath and when no one asked any more questions, she continued. "Just recently I learned that all of the Grimm have a mistress named Salem. She's made it her mission to end all human life on Remnant, my home world." Weiss explained as she put Myrtenaster back in its case and shut it.

"That's why I need to get back home as soon as possible. My team's travelling across Remnant to make sure that Salem doesn't succeed, and I need to be there to help." She finished, looking at the rest of the teenagers in the room for any indication that they might help her.

They all exchanged looks, wondering if they should trust this girl from another world or not, but then the pink haired girl stood up and extended her hand to Weiss.

"Well, any girl who has the courage to fight off crazy villains in four-inch heels and a dress is trustworthy in my books." Weiss took her hand and let the girl pull her up. "The name's Jinx, nice to meet you."

The girl with the blue cloak pulled her hood down to reveal purple hair, fair skin, and a bright red gem which was centered on her forehead. "I'm Raven."

The red haired girl smiled at her and said, "Greetings, new friend, my name is Starfire. Much like you, I am not from this planet. I come from the planet Tamaran which is many light-years away from this planet of Earth."

Weiss smiled at the kindhearted alien, grateful that there was another friendly face among the suspicious ones.

The green skinned boy with the pointy ears, apparently named Beast Boy introduced himself next. "The name's Beast Boy." He grinned at Weiss from ear to ear before turning into a green dog and nudging her knee with his head.

Weiss tried not to let the sudden shift affect her as her world had the Faunus, but she never expected someone with the ability to change completely into an animal.

The last Titan, the leader, stood up and shook her hand firmly, making Weiss correct her posture and look him in the eye as he spoke. "I'm Robin, the leader of the Titans. After what you did for Herald, I'll make sure that our team does everything in its power to get you back home. For now, you can stay in the Titan Tower as long as you like."

Weiss nodded and tried not to let the memory of Herald affect her too much. "Thank you, Robin. I may not look like much, but if there's trouble, I'll be sure to lend a hand."

Robin laughed and nodded. "I'll hold you to it. Maybe we can even spar some time so I can see how people from your world fight."

"I look forward to it."

️ ️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

"Might we have a slumber party to welcome our new friend Weiss?" Starfire proposed as they started getting ready for bed.

Unfortunately, Weiss was not prepared for the sudden interdimensional travel, so she only had her combat skirt with her. Starfire offered to lend her clothes, but she was much too tall for Weiss' petite height, so she ended up having to borrow a nightgown from Jinx who was closer to her height.

Now in a cute white nightgown with a unicorn on it that seemed a little girly for someone like Jinx, Weiss sat down on Starfire's bed, secretly wanting the other two girls to say yes so she could get to know them a little better.

Jinx just shrugged and laid down on the bed as well, her pink hair falling down her back instead of in the two horns that she usually kept it in. "Sounds good to me. What about you Rae?"

Raven used her powers to levitate a beanbag chair over to where she was standing and sat down on it, not bothering to respond.

"Wonderful! Shall I proceed with the popping of the corn and the teenage gossip about which boy is the cutest?" Starfire asked, floating in the air with excitement as she held out a teen magazine which had the "perfect slumber party" plan outlined.

Jinx just smiled at the Starfire's odd fascination with stereotypical teen activities while Raven looked like she wanted to murder someone, making Weiss realize that this was a common occurrence with Starfire.

Raven floated over some bags of popcorn and Starfire used beams of green energy from her eyes to heat them up, causing the smell of fresh popcorn to fill the air. "Popcorn yes, but no talk about-"

"So, Weiss, I heard that you had a run-in with Superboy earlier." Jinx stated with a smirk, making Raven glare at her.

Weiss shook her head at the thought of that rude, so-called hero. "Not by choice. He just so happened to be there when I was falling out of the sky and caught me, interrogating me as if I was some sort of criminal when we landed."

Raven and Jinx exchanged concerned looks, worried about what their hotheaded ally had done this time.

Starfire smiled worriedly and twiddled her fingers. "You must forgive Superboy for his actions. He has gone through much in the most recent months and it has hurt him."

"What happened?" Weiss asked, thinking back to how Warp had mentioned another hero named Superman who was most likely related to Superboy in some way. "Does this have to do with Superman?"

Raven's eyes widened when Weiss mentioned Superman, surprised that she even knew anything about him. "You know who Superman is?"

Weiss shook her head. "Warp mentioned him when he arrived in my world. He mentioned something about how there were no heroes like Superman in my world, and I thought that maybe this Superman might be related to Superboy."

Jinx snorted. "You could definitely say that."

Weiss tilted her head in confusion.

"Superman, like me, is from another planet, the planet Krypton. Due to the sun being stronger on Earth than on Krypton, and Earth having weaker gravity than Krypton, Superman has powers of immense proportions." Starfire answered. "Superman was known as the protector of the Earth, defending it from anyone who wanted to take it for its bountiful resources."

"But," Raven continued, "One day Superman fought a battle that was too much for him. He saved Earth, but at the cost of his life, or so people thought at the time. Because of that, a group of rogue scientists started Project Cadmus, an effort to try and clone Superman and get him to serve their own goals."

"Project Cadmus was started by a group of supervillains who call themselves the Light. One day, when Kid Flash, our friend Aqualad, and Robin went on a mission, they found the lab and they freed Superboy." Jinx added. "This of course," She sighed, "Didn't come without consequences as Superboy had been rapidly aged after he was created, and they took him out of the containment pod before he could be taught about human emotion from the G-Gnomes that were telepathically educating him about the world."

There were many terms like G-Gnomes and containment pods that Weiss only had an inkling of a guess as to what they were, but she had a feeling they weren't done explaining things, so she stayed quiet.

"The Teen Titans were on a break, so the four of them started a new group called Young Justice which eventually added a few other heroes as well." Raven continued.

"Young Justice was most successful and they taught Superboy about being human and friendship, but then tragedy struck." Starfire said, her eyes downcast as she remembered what happened.

"Young Justice fought against a supervillain that the Justice League has had trouble with in the past, an alien overlord named Darkseid." Jinx closed her eyes, shivering as she remembered that day. "With the help of the Justice League and other superheroes, they managed to fend him off and send him back to his planet called Apokolips. A lot of good heroes died or were were permanently put out of commission that day."

"This included Superboy's ex-girlfriend, Miss Martian, an alien with powers of telepathy from the planet Mars. She barely survived and is currently asleep in a life support pod in the Watchtower, the Justice League's base. They still don't know if she'll ever wake up." Raven's voice was little more than a rasp at this point, telling Weiss that this battle was much more epic and devastating than she had originally thought.

Weiss made a mental note to study Earth's solar system later, as well as the notable planets in this universe as alien superheroes were apparently as common as humans were on Earth. First Krypton, then Apokolips, and now Mars.

 _How many other planets can there be?_

"Her death affected him badly, and all of the progress that he had made with his emotions was reversed. He went back to being a closed off, arrogant, defiant, and reckless jerk with zero concern for his own wellbeing." Jinx finished with a humph.

Starfire frowned, worried that Weiss would get the wrong idea from their explanation. "So please do not mind our friend's personality. He is still in pain and he places much blame unto himself for what has happened."

Now that Weiss knew a little more about his background, his actions seemed understandable, but she wasn't ready to dismiss them completely.

Eager to change the topic, Weiss asked, "You say you fought against this Darkseid as well. What powers do you have?"

Jinx held out her hand and created an orb of pink energy, her eyes glowing the same color. "My magic allows me to control probability and the elements to some extent. I also use hexes if I need to do some direct damage and Raven here is even teaching me a few of her spells."

Starfire's eyes started glowing as well and a bright green glow encased her fists, making Weiss scoot back at the intense energy that was radiating off her. "My emotions are my strength, giving me the ability to shoot starbolts when I feel righteous fury, the ability to fly when I feel unbridled joy, or super strength when I feel boundless confidence."

Weiss was intrigued by the idea of someone's emotions having so much power. To an extent, she drew power from her own emotions, but she always made sure to keep them in check when in a fight, Winter's training having drilled that idea into her head.

"My powers are similar to your Aura and Semblance in that they're an astral projection of my soul." Raven explained, an aura of darkness surrounding her. "I have telekinetic powers that allows me to take control of objects, shoot bolts of dark energy, teleport, create barriers, change my own body's composition, and levitate."

She had a feeling that Raven's powers were much more extensive than her own, but Weiss decided not to vocalize her thoughts.

In a world filled with professional Huntsmen and Maidens, Weiss had always felt like she had so much left to learn and so much more room for improvement, but in this world, that feeling was much, much worse.

Raven, Weiss learned, was the daughter of an all-powerful, interdimensional demon while Starfire had endured torturous experiments which gave her the ability to shoot ultraviolet rays out of her eyes. Kid Flash has ability to tap into the Speed Force, an ancient force that apparently controls the motion of everything in existence, and Beast Boy can shapeshift into every animal imaginable and even some that don't exist anymore.

Eventually, Weiss decided it would be best if they continued their conversation tomorrow, as the overload of information about this incredibly vast world was already starting to give her a headache.

"Agreed. I think that's enough exposition for one night." Jinx remarked, yawning while falling back down on Starfire's bed. "Let's hit the hay."

"Sure." Raven rasped, pulling the blankets around herself with her powers.

"Yes, that sounds lovely." Starfire agreed, climbing into bed as well.

Weiss smiled and went to bed as well, the enormity of Starfire's bed giving her and the other girls plenty of space to sleep. "Good night, everyone."

"Night." The other girls chorused back, reminding Weiss of the night that she spent with Blake and Yang when they went to Mountain Glenn.

While she missed her friends, she couldn't help but think what it would be like to leave her new ones.

 _Would I leave permanently? Or would I be able to come back and visit?_

Weiss shook her head, knowing that she had to focus on getting back home before she could even think about coming back.

 _And as for when that will be, I have no idea. All I know is that I will get back to Remnant, one way or another._

 _Ruby, Blake, Yang...I'll make it back eventually. I promise._

️ ️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

Light-years away from Earth, on a dark, hellish planet, a dark figure sitting on a red throne sat up as he felt a disturbance in the fabric of space-time, sensing a new type of energy enter their plane of existence, an energy that he had never sensed before.

"Granny Goodness, come." The dark figure snapped his fingers, summoning a kind, maternal looking old lady.

"Yes, my lord?" The old woman inquired, the malicious smile on her face rivaling even that of Joker's.

"A new energy source has come into our universe. It seems in his greed for power and his fight against Herald, Warp managed to do what even I couldn't do, and entered a plane of existence that is separate and isolated from our own, existing outside of the Source Wall." The voice rumbled, intrigue and malice in his voice.

Granny Goodness just grinned. "Would you like me to dispatch the Furies to steal the energy source?"

The shadow shook his head. "One Fury and a squad of Parademons should be enough, I care not which Fury you choose. I need only know where this energy shift came from. Taking it for myself will come in due time."

Granny's malevolent grin faltered, but she still nodded nonetheless. "Of course, my lord. I'll see to it at once."

Granny disappeared in an instant, leaving the massive shadow to look over his hellish planet in silence once again.

Usually, he would have no trouble with identifying the new power that had entered their universe, but it seems that there is a force protecting this energy from even his powers, maddening him to no end.

 _No matter. I may not be able to see it now, but I will find the source of the energy one day. And when I do, traveling through existential planes will be nothing but child's play, bringing me one step closer to discovering the Anti-Life Equation._

He sought total domination over the world, over the universe, over the multiverse, over every single sentient being that ever existed.

 _And nothing will stand in my way._

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. At last, we finally see our villain, who's just itching to throw a wrench in poor Weiss' plans to get back home. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out who he is, but for the story's sake I won't mention his name until I feel it's appropriate.**_

 ** _I'm also sorry if it seems like this story is just explanation after explanation, but these backstories are really important for the people who don't know much about RWBY or the vast DC universe._**

 ** _Anyways, thanks for reading and_** until next time!


	3. Damsel in Distress

The morning had been wonderful for Weiss, all things considered. She couldn't be luckier that upon arrival in this strange world, she had not only found Herald's friends, but people who she could trust as well.

After getting back into her now freshly washed clothes, Weiss proceeded down to the kitchen where the group of heroes had a nice pancake breakfast, courtesy of Kid Flash and Jinx, who, with their combined powers had them ready in seconds.

"Greetings, Weiss!" Starfire shined as brightly as her namesake. "Would you like some pancakes?" She asked, holding up a plate with a stack of pancakes that was nearly taller than Weiss herself.

Weiss turned deathly pale at the thought of eating that much, but she nodded anyways. "Of course, I would be delighted."

Jinx smiled and rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Weiss had almost literally bitten off more than she could chew. "Here," She handed Weiss a plate with only two pancakes on it which also had bright red strawberries and some powdered sugar on it, reminding Weiss of fresh snow. "Take these."

Taking the plate from Starfire, she set it in front of a drooling Kid Flash who immediately went to work, demolishing them in an instant. "Not everyone has nine stomachs, Starfire." Jinx chided a now frowning Starfire, digging into her own pancakes which had a generous helping of whipped cream on it.

Both intrigued and disgusted by the idea of having nine stomachs, Weiss found herself taking a bite out of the pancakes before she lost her appetite. "Thank you, though, Starfire. It was a kind gesture." She offered, not wanting to see her new friend with that frown on her face.

Weiss' comment made Starfire's smile come right back, returning the Tamaranean back to her bright disposition. "Of course, friend Weiss!" She zoomed back to the kitchen and grabbed herself another pile of pancakes and brought them back to the dining table, eating them with as much gusto as Kid Flash. The sight of those two eating side by side, while slightly revolting, was also endearing.

And so, in this semi-mundane and calm breakfast where Weiss had casual and light conversations with the Titans, she realized something.

 _When have I ever been this lucky?_

By now, Weiss was used to either a Grimm attack, like the many that they had encountered when they were transporting the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas, or an attack from a violent sociopath, something that also came rather frequently on their journey to Atlas.

As if right on cue, a loud explosion was heard from the roof that shook the entire Tower, alerting the Titans instantly.

Weiss set her fork down with a sigh and stood up, heading to the middle of the room with the rest of the Titans to see what the problem was.

"Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Multiple unidentified creatures flying towards the Tower." The security system alerted them, accompanied by a flashing red light.

The giant television in the middle of the room turned on to reveal a horde of what Weiss could only guess were demons or aliens, led by a slightly more feminine looking demon/alien. The monstrous creatures flew at the Tower by the hundreds, casting a shadow over the Tower with how many there were.

"What are those things?" Weiss asked, horrified at how they were.

The Creatures of Grimm, while also horrifying at times, mostly resembled animals or the occasional fairy tale creature.

 _But these abominations…_

"They're called Parademons." Raven spat, using her powers to create a barrier around the top floors of the tower from their onslaught of gunfire.

Starfire's eyes and hands started glowing bright green. "They're Darkseid's minions. Base creatures which only seek to destroy."

"Titans, move out to the roof! We can't let them destroy the Tower!" Robin called out, prompting Raven and Starfire to fly out of the windows while everyone else took the stairs.

"Weiss, stay here where it's safe. We can't have your Dust falling in the wrong hands." Robin advised, not bothering to wait for her confirmation from her before he went up the stairs.

Weiss ran over to the window and watched more and more Parademons surround the Tower, circling about it like an extraterrestrial hurricane. From what she could see, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire fought the Parademons in the air while Robin, Kid Flash, and JInx kept them off of the roof.

Watching her new friends fight while she was forced to sit on the sidelines did not sit well, especially when she was most likely the reason why they were fighting in the first place.

Weiss clenched her fists in frustration and ran back to Starfire's room.

Grabbing Myrtenaster out of its case, she gave the revolver a generous spin. "I'm no damsel in distress." She hmphed, moving Myrtenaster's case and Herald's horn into the Starfire's closet.

Satisfied that her case and Herald's horn were least out of sight, Weiss went back to the living room, ready to use her Glyphs to jump out the window and meet them on the roof, only to find that a group of Parademons, as well as a giant of a woman had broken in through the windows.

The giant woman wore a skin tight black leotard that covered her entire body, steel bands accenting the leotard less as armor and more as some twisted fashion statement. She held steel bands which extended outwards from her wrists, wielding them with a malicious look in her eyes.

The woman's steel bands extended, floating outwards and bending as if they were tentacles, completely under her control. Her eyes and her mouth were the only part of her body that was uncovered by the black suit she was wearing, her gaze scathing and disapproving as she looked down on Weiss who was at least a foot and a half shorter than the her.

"This is what master was so worked up about?" She laughed haughtily. "It's so tiny that if I don't look down at it I wouldn't even know that it was there!"

The other Parademons made a horrible screeching noise that was probably supposed to resemble a laugh, making Weiss want to cover her ears.

"Parademons, take care of the little nuisance and find the source of her energy. But do be careful, the master wants her alive." Her smug grin grew as she saw the icy look in Weiss' eyes at her taunts.

"I'm no _it_ , you pompous ogre." Weiss raised Myrtenaster and pointed it at her, making the alien woman raise her eyebrow in amusement. "And I think you'll find yourself regretting that you ever made an enemy out of this human."

"Oh, really? Well then," The woman stood up and snapped her fingers. "Let's see how you fare against my Parademons."

The Parademons rushed at Weiss instantly, prompting her to create a Glyph to jump over them, creating Ice Glyphs in mid-air and launched rays of ice at them, freezing their wings.

Even with frozen wings, the Parademons still came at her again, their claws ready to tear her eyes out given the opportunity.

Weiss smiled as they rushed at her, loading Lightning Dust into Myrtenaster.

 _As if I'd ever give them the opportunity._

A Time Dilation Glyph appeared under Weiss turning rapidly as everything around her slowed down. With ease, she created Glyphs all around them, similar to what she did when she was fighting the White Fang Lieutenant, and used the boost in speed to destroy all of the Parademons in seconds, leaving nothing but dust in her wake by the time the Glyph's power had ended.

Breathing a little harder, Weiss brandished Myrtenaster at the woman, a victorious smile on her face as she had easily dispatched her hoard of Parademons.

Less amused, the woman placed one hand on her hip and let one of her steel ribbons float outwards. "My name is Lashina, tiny human. I am the field leader of the Female Furies, Darkseid's very own elite guard. You may have defeated the Parademons with ease, but I will not be taken down so easily."

Weiss' heartbeat quickened when she heard that Lashina served directly under Darkseid, a supervillain who had caused the famous Justice League immense trouble.

"We'll see about that." She responded defiantly, a Glyph already pulsing under her.

Lashina cracked a smile and thrust her hands forward, directing her steel ribbons at Weiss.

Using the Glyph, Weiss jumped backwards, hoping to test how far the ribbons could go. She backflipped away from Lashina, but her ribbons seemed endless, coming after Weiss no matter how far she got away.

Lashina cackled, most likely thinking that Weiss was trying to run away. "Run all you want, tiny human, but you'll never escape my grasp."

She shot her ribbons directly at Weiss at unbelievable speeds, forcing Weiss to use Energy Dust to create a Force Field Glyph in front of her, stopping the ribbons in their tracks.

"Hmm, what else do you have up your sleeves, human?" She asked, her ribbons striking Weiss' Glyphs with intense force.

Turning Myrtenaster's revolver so that it landed on Fire Dust, Weiss let it flow into the Glyphs that were protecting her, turning them a bright orange color.

Weiss used the Fire Dust to send intense heat through the ribbons, making them glow red with how much heat they contained.

"Ooh, that's a pretty color." She mocked when she noticed the change in Glyph. "What will you do with- Aahh!" Lashina cried out as the heat from the steel whips continued into the ones that were wrapped around her body, burning her with intense heat.

"You insolent- How dare you taint my beautiful whips!" She cried, launching white-hot steel bands at Weiss at an even faster speed than before.

Weiss summoned Speed Glyphs and used them to dodge the whips, but with Lashina's anger and the force behind her ribbons, she could only dodge for so long.

"Aahh!" Weiss cried out as a steel ribbon struck her arm, slamming her down to the ground, the intense heat tearing away at her Aura much faster than it normally would.

Lashina's steel ribbons retracted and she grinned wickedly, eager to see the damage that she had caused to the human's immaculate snow-white skin, only to find that it was still in perfect condition, as if she had never even touched her.

"What are you?!" She growled, anger starting to seep through ever pour in her body. "No human should have been able to withstand my whips! Much less a tiny whelp such as yourself."

Weiss smiled and stood up, despite the fact that her Aura was a mere strike away from breaking and leaving her vulnerable to Lashina's anger.

"The humans from my world are no pushovers and neither am I. I refuse to lose to someone like you, and I'd die before I let you take me."

Lashina smiled wickedly, all thoughts of Darkseid's plan out the window as she focused solely on her desire to murder the insolent human who dared to make a fool out of her. "So be it."

She shot her whips at Weiss, making her block them directly with Myrtenaster, loading Water Dust into it to cool off the whips and Wind Dust to soften them.

Now that they weren't superheated, Weiss was able to take a few more hits without her Aura breaking, but as she fought off Lashina, she felt the exhaustion start to take hold. As she got more tired, Weiss felt her steps start to get less precise, her Glyphs start to weaken, and her Aura take less and less of the damage that was being dealt to her.

In her exhaustion, Weiss failed to notice the carpet under her and tripped as she was fighting off another onslaught of whips. Myrtenaster clattered to the side and Lashina took the opportunity to wrap a whip around Weiss' hands and legs, effectively immobilizing her.

"Not so confident without our weapon, are we human?" She cackled, bringing forth another whip and holding it up against Weiss' neck. "One flick of the wrist, and I can end your life. My master has the ability to bring insects like you back, so I can have all the fun I want, killing you over and over again until I grow bored."

Instead of fear, Weiss felt defiance spike up in the back of her mind, despite how close to death she was.

Even though she was restrained, Weiss was nowhere near defenseless.

Behind Lashina, Weiss created a large Glyph which pulsed with power, its design comprising of a snowflake surrounded by swords.

Before Weiss could fully summon forth Arma Gigas however, they were distracted by the sound of the windows breaking and before Weiss could even process what was happening, Lashina's steel whips were no longer around her and Lashina was smashed into the kitchen wall.

Weiss fell to the ground and cancelled her Summon Glyph, shocked to see familiar ocean blue eyes looking down at her.

"You alright?" Superboy asked, his voice gruff and out of breath, as if he had just flown halfway across the world, which all things considered, was probably possible.

Weiss had trouble forming words as the realization of how close she had really come to death in this strange world. "I-I…"

They heard movement come from the other side of the room, prompting Weiss to run over and pick up Myrtenaster, despite her Aura being pushed to its limit and her legs feeling like jelly.

When he realized that Weiss intended to continue fighting, Superboy pushed her behind him, making Weiss huff as his broad back blocked her view.

"Is this really the best you can do, Superboy?" Lashina taunted, gesturing towards Weiss' icy glare. "After Miss Martian it seems you are scraping the bottom of the barrel with this fragile human."

Ignoring her condescending statement, Superboy asked, "What does Darkseid want with her?"

"I know better than to question my master's wishes, boy. Though even I can see that she has a certain…Energy about her that is unnatural." She smiled, stepping forward as if she hadn't just been slammed into a concrete wall.

A crash was heard from the roof, which was followed by the rest of the Titans coming down into the living room, more or less in good shape after fighting off hundreds of Parademons.

Realizing that she was hopelessly outnumbered, Lashina smirked and took out a small keypad, pressing a series of numbers on it.

"Anticipating that I would receive resistance, I had the Parademons set up a little surprise for you which should go off in say…two minutes." She cackled. "Goodbye, Titans!"

In a flash, Lashina teleported back to Apokolips, eager to report her findings to her master, and for the next opportunity she would get to fight against the human from another dimension.

After she left, Robin immediately went to the main computer. "Computer! Run a diagnostic of the Tower!"

The computer scanned the Tower for a second before showing a diagram of the Tower, revealing about twenty red spots placed in strategic locations all over the Tower.

"Robin, what are those?" Weiss asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Kid Flash!" Robin called out, barely hearing Weiss' question.

"On it!" Kid Flash yelled as he zoomed out of the room.

Just as quickly as he had left, Kid Flash came back, burns now covering his suit. "They're bombs! I can't get near any of them because they have some sort of sonic field around them. I can't even vibrate my molecules fast enough to go through it to disarm it."

Robin ran a hand through his hair and growled angrily. He was about to yell another order, but an explosion from the lower levels of the Tower was heard.

"Titans, grab the essentials and move out! Raven, take Beast Boy, Kid Flash, take Jinx, I'll go with Starfire. Superboy, get Weiss as far away from here as possible." Robin turned to Weiss. "Go grab your case and Herald's horn. We need to make sure that neither fall into enemy hands."

Weiss nodded and used Speed Glyphs to grab her case and the horn, securing the horn to her side so that she could hold the case more comfortably.

Robin took out his T-Communicator, opened it, and pressed a red button, causing the other Titans' communicators to turn off. "We need to go dark until we can make it to our safe house without being trailed. I'm positive Lashina has more Parademons in Jump City. Superboy, stay with Weiss until we rendezvous."

While Weiss wasn't too thrilled about having to go with Superboy and probably vice versa, both teens nodded.

Another explosion sounded from the Tower, this time, much closer to the floor that they were on.

"Titans, move out!"

Without waiting for Weiss to get ready, Superboy hooked an arm under Weiss' knees and another under her back and zoomed the both of them out of the Tower, going in a random direction with no destination in mind.

Just seconds after all of the Titans had left the Tower, it exploded, reducing their home to rubble and creating giant waves in the bay from the power of the blast.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked as they flew through the night, heading eastwards from what she could glean.

"To figure you out." His voice was curt, icy even by Weiss' standards.

It was obvious that he placed blame on Weiss for what happened, though Weiss could understand why. After all, if she hadn't fallen into the Titans' care, then their home wouldn't be in shambles and Superboy wouldn't have to face his most hated enemy again.

 _It's not as if it's my fault that I got stuck in this world. I want to be here just as much as he wants me here._

Weiss wanted to voice her feelings, but decided otherwise, the idea of Superboy dropping keeping her from saying anything that might aggravate him, especially since she didn't have enough Aura to even think about using Glyphs again.

Realizing she had no other choice than to stay with him, Weiss sighed. "Let's figure me out then."

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 _ **A.N. And now we have Weiss' first interactions with some genuine supervillains. I hope the fight scenes are coming out okay since I've never really written any before and I've never had to enter a character's mindset in a such a way, but I like how they came out.**_

 _ **I also had to do a fair amount of research for this chapter, but it was actually kinda fun, especially when I discovered that Darkseid, lord of evil, scourge to the DC Universe, has a second-in-command whose name is Granny Goodness of all things.**_

 _ **One of the things that I've also noticed as I read other RWBY crossovers is that most of the time, whenever the team goes to another universe, they always end up losing their ability to use Aura and have to assimilate with whatever world they're in.**_

 _ **That's not necessarily a bad thing, but personally I think that if they go to another world and have to fight something, that they should do it with their full arsenal. Like if they somehow ended up in Attack on Titan, for example, while it would be cool to see Team RWBY put on the Survey Corps gear, it would be even cooler to see Ruby take down a titan with her scythe and her speed semblance.**_

 _ **I also really didn't want to go through the trouble of writing an entire arc in which Weiss has to figure out a way to get access to her Aura again.**_

 _ **Anyways, thanks for reading,** **and** _until next time!


	4. STAR Labs

It was the next morning when they reached their destination, a metropolis called Central City, according to the gigantic sign that Weiss saw at the city limits. Skyscrapers that were the size of the CCT or even bigger erupted from the center of the city, leading to smaller and smaller buildings that made way for the suburbs where people seemed to be living their everyday lives without fear, despite the alien invasion that Weiss and the Titans had just experienced a few hours ago.

Superboy flew them over to what looked to be a very large research and development laboratory that reminded Weiss of Atlas' own labs.

"S.T.A.R. Labs…" Weiss read as they got closer, tensing up as she realized that Superboy probably brought her here so they could run tests on her and her Dust.

"Don't worry, Ice Princess. There are good people here." Superboy patted her head, making Weiss scoff and remove his giant hand from her head.

On a good day, with heels, Weiss averaged at 5'3 (160 cm), standing at a petite 4'11 (150 cm) without them. Considering that Weiss barely reached his chest, Superboy had to be at least 6'3 (190cm), a height difference that he used to his advantage in their situation.

Weiss just huffed and walked towards the main building, ignoring the strange looks that she got from the scientists who were probably wondering why a seventeen-year-old girl in a dress was marching up to one of the foremost scientific research laboratories in the world.

Superboy followed her, his long legs eating up the distance much closer than Weiss' could, forcing her to walk faster to keep up with him.

When they got to the gate, Superboy pressed on the intercom and waited a few seconds before one of the receptionists answered. "Welcome to S.T.A.R. Labs, how may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Cisco and Caitlin." Superboy answered, already growing impatient.

Almost instantly she answered, "I'm sorry, but they're not in today. Maybe-"

"Tell them that Superboy's here and that it's a Code Black."

The receptionist was silent for a while, making Weiss question if she was even still there. After a minute or two, the door buzzed and opened.

Superboy walked in as if he owned the place, leaving Weiss to trail after him, carefully observing her surroundings and taking note of the hallways they walked through, just in case she needed to escape.

After walking for what felt like ages, the pair ended up in the heart of the lab where a team of scientists were working. The scientists were led by a pair of younger scientists, maybe in their mid to late twenties who seemed to radiate a similar power that the Titans did. It wasn't like Weiss' Aura, but she was certain that they had power.

"Cisco, Caitlin, this is Weiss Schnee. Weiss, these two geniuses are Caitlin Snow and Francisco Ramon, also known as Vibe and Killer Frost." Superboy introduced, his demeanor and voice more lighthearted than Weiss was used to in the short time that she had known him.

Caitlin, a pretty, young woman with fair skin, brown hair, and brown eyes smiled at Weiss, but it was clear there were other things on her mind. "It's a pleasure, Weiss, but you said it was a Code Black, Superboy."

She furrowed her eyebrows and her face tightened as she came to a realization. "Or were you just saying that so you could check up on our progress?" Caitlin sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I told you that-"

"It's not about me. She's the Code Black." He interrupted quickly, not wanting Weiss to hear more than she should.

Cisco, a guy with shoulder length brown hair, tan skin, and brown eyes gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth. "Really?" He asked, looking at Weiss as if she was a scientific specimen or something, making her take a step back into Superboy, who she hadn't realized had been behind her the entire time.

Caitlin just rolled her eyes and nodded her head towards a room with reinforced doors and a retina scanner next to it. "You guys head on in, I'll make sure that everything's going smoothly out here and then meet you in a bit."

Cisco nodded and lead them through the doors, scanning his eye in the retina scanner and then entering a series of numbers on the screen that was under it before intricate mechanisms behind the door unlocked, opening the heavy doors and revealing what looked to be another lab.

While it looked like the other one that they had been in, Weiss could tell that this lab was used for studying…special specimens, which there seemed to be no shortage of in this world.

"Welcome to the heart of S.T.A.R. Labs, Weiss. Here, we mainly study metahumans and superpowered individuals like Superboy here, but we also have a little infirmary as well in case anyone," He tilted his head not-so-subtly at Superboy, who just scoffed. "Injures themselves and has a biological composition that's more complex than the average human."

"It's impressive, but can you explain to me what exactly a Code Black is?" Weiss asked, cutting right to the chase as she set down her case and Herald's trumpet on a nearby table.

"That's an excellent question, Weiss." Caitlin responded as she walked in, closing the doors behind her. "A Code Black, i.e. you, is someone, or something, that comes from a place beyond the boundaries of our plane of existence. Apokolips, the dimension that Darkseid rules over, while existing in a place that's outside of our normal concept of time and space, is still technically within our plane of existence. If Superboy here is right, then you, and wherever you're from, lies beyond even Apokolips."

Weiss understood that much. "But what does that mean?"

Instead of answering her question, Caitlin asked another one. "How exactly did you end up in this world?"

Weiss stiffened, remembering how awry her experimentation with Summoning and Light Dust had turned out. "That's a long story."

Cisco pulled up a chair and sat down and Caitlin did the same. "We'll make time."

With a sigh, Weiss explained everything that she did to the Titans about Aura, Dust, her Semblance, Herald, her fight against Warp, and the most recent attack by Darkseid's minions.

By the time she finished, Cisco's jaw was wide open while Caitlin maintained a curious, yet equally bewildered look.

"This Dust, you called it. May we take a few samples to analyze it?" Caitlin asked tentatively.

Weiss nodded and grabbed Myrtenaster, deciding to just give them whatever was left in the revolver, only to find once again, that the Dust reserves in the revolver were full, as if she hadn't used it multiple times in the past two days.

"What?" Weiss muttered under her breath, confused at the strange, but good turn of events.

"Is there something wrong?" Cisco asked, secretly wanting to get his hands on the Dust as soon as possible.

"It's strange…Dust, while durable, is finite and can only take so many uses. I've been using it quite a lot over the past few days so my Dust should at least be halfway spent, but I've found that ever since I fought Warp that my Dust reserves don't seem to deplete after I use them." Weiss noticed, removing the Fire Dust from Myrtenaster's revolver.

Looking at the crystal closer, Weiss noticed that it was glowing faintly, glowing the exact same color that the portal did when she stabbed Warp.

"You said that when you stabbed Warp you said that the light from the portal seemed to go directly into your sword, right?" Caitlin asked, running over to her tablet and tapping away at it.

"Yes." Weiss confirmed, fearing for the state of her weapon, one of the only things that she had from Remnant.

Cisco tapped on his own tablet as well, entering a series of letters that opened a chamber behind him, air hissing as the pressure-locked door slid open slowly.

"Would you mind putting your weapon in our scanner?" Cisco asked, trying to keep his face professional and neutral despite being incredibly excited at the prospect of being the first person to analyze something from the world of Remnant.

Weiss, feeling slightly worried, stepped back unconsciously, only for her to bump into Superboy who had been standing behind her the entire time.

Superboy just gave Weiss a reassuring pat on the head, his eyes trained on the scanner in an attempt to keep from meeting Weiss'.

Regaining her composure, Weiss nodded and placed Myrtenaster in the scanner, jumping slightly as it floated upright as if she had accidentally sprinkled powdered Gravity Dust all over it.

"Polarity control." Caitlin explained with a smile on her face as Weiss stepped back and the door closed. "We used magnetic fields to make your rapier float upwards so we could get a complete scan of it without anything getting in the way."

Weiss nodded, not being able to say anything as she watched her precious sword be scanned over multiple times, oddly finding comfort in the large heat source that was Superboy who was standing directly behind her, acting as support for her without even having to say a single word.

When the scanning was done, Weiss sighed with relief and eagerly grabbed her rapier, hooking it to her side again where it was safe and sound.

"Alright," Caitlin said as she received the information from the scanner on her tablet. "Let's see what we're working with."

Tapping a few things on the tablet, Caitlin turned on one of the TVs in the room and displayed the results of the scan on it, displaying information that Weiss had no idea how to interpret.

"Interesting…" Cisco smiled as he looked over the information. "What did you say that your rapier was made out of?"

"Silver, I believe." Weiss answered. "It exists on this planet as well, right?"

Looking over the information Caitlin nodded, but made a more-or-less gesture with her hand. "Silver exists on our planet, but not in this form. Have you ever had to do any maintenance on your rapier? Or has it ever broken before?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, most weapons on Remnant are nearly indestructible. One of my comrades even uses a wooden bo staff against swords and other sharp weapons regularly, and it doesn't seem to have any wear on it." Weiss smiled as she remembered the monkey Faunus' antics.

"Interesting." Cisco mused, internally bouncing off the walls with excitement at the prospect of the people in their world being able to design virtually indestructible weapons.

As Caitlin scrolled to the bottom of the report, she noticed something strange, or stranger, about the weapon. "It says here that the scanner detected temporal energy circulating around the sword, which might explain why you have a seemingly endless amount of Dust."

Pretending like she knew what "temporal energy" was, Weiss asked, "How so?"

Caitlin pointed out the white lines that circled around her sword on the diagram that she had on her tablet. The white lines circled in and around Myrtenaster, mainly centering on the revolver. "I think that somehow when you stabbed Warp, your sword absorbed his power. While he can open portals, his main specialty is the ability to travel through time and the energy that gave him that power is now circling in and around your sword, renewing your Dust, and the sword in general, at about five-minute intervals."

"Would that help me be able to get back to my world in some way?" Weiss asked hopefully.

Cisco grinned and nodded. "Definitely. We need to study the composition of this Light Dust a little more, but we should have an answer in a month or two."

Oh.

Weiss was taken aback, realizing that she would have to spend an entire month or maybe even more in this strange world while her friends were fighting against Salem and her forces.

Noticing Weiss' sudden drop in her demeanor, Caitlin turned off the monitors and took off her lab coat. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm famished. How about we treat you to some classic Earth food while you're here? You must be starving after travelling halfway across the country in one night."

Weiss, realizing that she hadn't eaten since the morning before when they were attacked by Lashina and the Parademons, suddenly felt a wave of hunger swell up in her stomach, making the idea of food very pleasing.

"That sounds lovely."

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Earth food, Weiss found, was extremely similar to food on Remnant. Even the food that came from far off countries such as China or Mexico had counterparts in Remnant. Food from the continent of Asia seemed to be very similar to food from Mistral, while food from Europe resembled Atlan cuisine, and food from the United States resembled food from Vale.

By the time they finished their tour of the most popular restaurants in Central City, Weiss was absolutely stuffed. Cisco and Caitlin had seemed to go all out as well, though it seemed as if Superboy still had room in his stomach to spare.

"His body expends calories at a much faster rate than normal humans." Caitlin explained, smiling lightly at Weiss' astounded expression at seeing Superboy pack in cheeseburger after cheeseburger. "Though we could all do without your gross habit of chewing with your mouth open, especially since you're in the presence of refined ladies." She stated pointedly, making Superboy stop mid-chew.

Instead of chewing like a normal person, Superboy proceeded to chew with his mouth wide open, even adding in disgusting chewing noises that reminded Weiss of the sound a cow made when it was eating.

Caitlin rolled her eyes and Weiss laughed lightly at his antics, a smile finding its way on her face as she observed him not be moody and standoffish for once.

Weiss' eyes met Superboy's and a small grin graced his face, making Weiss' face turn pink as she realized how handsome he was when he smiled.

Caitlin and Cisco shared a knowing look but didn't say anything about the hero and the huntress. They both just sipped on their drinks and let the two teens have their moment, knowing that they would be back to fighting soon enough.

Their moment was interrupted however, when Caitlin got a phone call. Weiss glanced at her phone and saw that the caller ID read Barry Allen.

"Hello? Yeah, what's up?...We're with Superboy and the visitor from the report that I sent you earlier." She waited for a second as Barry spoke, her expression going from easygoing to worried. "…Right now? But we're days away from a breakthrough, you know how important this is to him." Caitlin, as if just realizing that there were other people at the table, muttered a quick "Excuse me." and then left.

Superboy's face hardened when she left, remembering that one of Superboy's powers was exceptional hearing and that even now he could probably hear her conversation with this Barry Allen.

Weiss turned to Cisco for an explanation, but he just shook his head, his expression clearly saying don't ask.

Caitlin returned a few minutes later, a grim expression on her face. "Cisco and I need to go. There's a pressing situation at the S.T.A.R. Labs branch in Metropolis that we need to attend to. I'm sorry, Superboy, I know you were hoping-"

"It's fine." He interjected, though Weiss could see that it clearly wasn't. "After all, I have all the time in the world, right?" He retorted scathingly.

Cisco placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder, but he shook it off. "Look, I know you're frustrated, but we're doing everything we can. It's not exactly like the scientists at Cadmus left us an instruction manual or anything."

Cadmus? The lab that Superboy was created in?

"Instruction manual for what?" Weiss asked, confused as to what they were talking about.

As if realizing that Weiss was still standing there, Superboy walked over to her and abruptly picked her up, effectively startling her and making her face turn pink as they were still in public. "H-hey! What're you-"

"We're leaving."

Without waiting for confirmation from anyone, Superboy took to the skies, making Caitlin sigh in frustration and run a hand through her hair. Cisco just shook his head and packed away the rest of the food, leaving some cash on the table.

"Barry's not gonna be happy with the news." He sighed as the two left, holding back a smile as he watched Weiss scold Superboy for picking her up so rudely and leaving his friends how he did.

"What? That Darkseid's back, that the Titans are being hunted down, or that Weiss is here?" Caitlin surmised, a grim look on her face as the hero and the huntress flew farther and farther away.

"All three. We're weeks away from figuring out how to cure Superboy's anti-aging symptoms and then suddenly there's a spike in rogue metahuman activity in Metropolis. Not to mention that the dark overlord himself decided to make his grand comeback after a seventeen-year-old girl from another dimension fell out of the sky." Cisco sighed and shook his head. "Of course the Justice League isn't going to be happy."

"Do you have any idea where they're headed?"

Cisco smirked. "Knowing how Superboy seems to love getting himself into trouble and how he probably heard your conversation with Barry, I think it's safe to say that they're headed to Metropolis. He probably also wants to introduce his new girlfriend to his dad." He snickered, earning himself a light smack upside the head from Caitlin.

"Oh please, I give it at least a month before they get together. Maybe more considering how defiant and stubborn they both seem to be." She replied, hailing a taxi.

"Weiss? Defiant? She's the most polite person I've ever met."

Caitlin rolled her eyes at Cisco's lack of depth. "Did you see that ponytail? And don't tell me you think she got that scar over her eye from a hair curler."

"Where to?" The gruff voice of the taxi cab driver interrupted.

"S.T.A.R. Labs." Cisco answered, trying to get a better visual of their driver as he was wearing a heavy coat and had his face obscured despite the warm weather.

"Excellent." He rumbled, proceeding to drive them in the exact opposite direction of the lab.

Cisco and Caitlin shared a worried look. Even though they only had just started to get the hang of their powers, they knew that they would have no choice if things went south.

As soon as Caitlin let the ice back into her veins and her hair started to get lighter, the taxi driver tutted and shook his head. "Uh-uh, I wouldn't try that if I were you. You don't want to see me get angry. When I get angry, people end up with swords out their backs, and you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

He pulled out a katana that was hiding in his thick coat that was colored half orange and half black, making Cisco and Caitlin tense up as they realized who they were dealing with.

"Deathstroke." Caitlin growled, frost forming on her fingers.

Last Caitlin and Cisco had heard, Deathstroke had been put away by the Titans, but apparently, he managed to escape.

He pulled down the hood and revealed his mask, half orange and half black with a few slits allowing for air, except this time it had scratches and gashes in it, courtesy of the Titans.

Cisco raised his hand in an attempt to use his powers on Deathstroke, but Deathstroke turned up a dial on the dashboard of the taxi that released a painful frequency that not only stopped Cisco, but cut off Caitlin's powers as well.

"Now, now, we can't have you using your metahuman powers on me, now can we?" He cackled as he turned up the frequency even further, making Caitlin and Cisco put their hands over their ears to block it out.

"Where did Superboy and the girl go?" He asked, turning down the frequency volume to a bearable level.

"Go to hell." Caitlin breathed, her ears ringing from the frequency.

Deathstroke sighed. "I've been there before, not quite my taste, but I'm sure I'll see you there soon." He turned the dial up to the highest setting, knocking Caitlin and Cisco out instantly, their bodies not being able to handle the intensity of the sound waves.

Now that the two scientists were out cold, Deathstroke pulled out a phone and called the first number on the contacts list. "I've got Killer Frost and Vibe, but I just missed the girl and the clone."

"That is fine." The voice on the other line hissed. "Milord will be most pleased with your contribution."

"Enough with the theatrics, Lashina. I was promised payment." Deathstroke answered impatiently, Lashina's antics irritating him.

"And you will receive it. After the girl is captured."

Deathstroke's grip on the phone increased, denting it slightly. "Our deal was just for the scientists. The girl and Superboy were supposed to be extra."

Lashina tutted condescendingly. "Yes, well, it seems the master has happened upon some…enlightening information about the girl and now wishes for her to be captured. To expedite the process, Lord Darkseid has hired other individuals in case you were to fail your job. Are we clear on what is expected of you if you wish to receive payment?"

Deathstroke growled. "Crystal."

The Fury laughed at hearing the mercenary's anger. "Then I hope to see you soon."

She cut the call and Deathstroke resisted the urge to crush the phone in his hand. He did not like being ordered around, especially by his employer's lackeys.

A wicked, spiteful thought came to mind as he glanced at the two scientists in the back seat of the taxi cab.

"You want the girl? Fine." He stopped the cab and got out, moving to open the back door. "But unfortunately, on the drive to the rendezvous point, Killer Frost and Vibe were saved by an unknown hero." Deathstroke mused as he pulled Caitlin and Cisco out of the taxi cab roughly and left them on the side of the road. "What a shame."

Smirking with spite, Deathstroke got back in the taxi cab, pulled on his hood and drove in the opposite of the rendezvous point, knowing that Lashina would be angry with him for not bringing the scientists.

Serves her right.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. And another villain enters the fray, though this one packs a little more punch than the last few did. I've seen many iterations of Deathstroke and I think he would be a formidable opponent for Weiss, though it might be a bit before we see him again.**_

 _ **I've also figured out an update schedule that I hope I'll be able to stick to which will hopefully be every Friday, but as the story progresses it may change.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	5. We're Not in Remnant Anymore, Zwei

**A.N. Originally titled:** ** _I Don't Think We're in Remnant Anymore, Zwei_** **(The title was too long to put in the actual chapter title so here it is)**

"-wake up! Weiss, wake up!"

Weiss heard someone yelling in her ear as wild winds whipped around her and groggily, she yawned and opened her eyes, the strong arms that were cradling her making it very hard for her to fully awaken.

At least until an energy beam whizzed right past Weiss' ear.

Looking around, Weiss saw that they were flying over fields of wheat, the grains swaying in the golden light of the sunset. The plains were beautiful, the warm hues of the sunset reflecting off of the wheat, making everything seem to glow.

Unfortunately for Weiss and Superboy, the beauty of the wheat fields was disrupted by the sight of a horde of Parademons coming their way, being led by a hag of a woman with black hair that curled up into two horns, pale skin, and a weird green battle uniform with a cape attached to it. At her side rested a sword that had a weird looking barb at the tip which was painted blood red, as opposed to the rest of the sword which was silver.

Superboy floated down to the ground and set Weiss down gently, taking Herald's horn from her and hooking it to his side.

"I'll take on leader. You go after the Parademons." He was about to go without allowing Weiss the chance to say otherwise, but she grabbed ahold of his hand before he could fly away.

"Not likely." Weiss asserted, her icy blue eyes flashing defiantly. "Does the term 'teamwork' mean anything to you? If she's as strong as Lashina was then there's no way either of us are taking her down by ourselves."

Hearing Weiss mention Lashina, the woman in green scoffed. "How dare you compare me to her? After all, if she failed to bring a tiny human like you in, then she must be more incompetent than I thought."

Weiss drew Myrtenaster and pointed it at the woman, remembering that she could go all out against this woman without having to worry about running out of Dust now that Myrtenaster was powered by Warp's temporal energy. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Superboy tensed up behind Weiss. "Weiss, don't bait her. I've seen her fight before, that sword of hers isn't normal."

Loading Water Dust and Wind Dust to create Ice Dust, Weiss smirked as Myrtenaster glowed icy blue. "Neither is mine."

With a speed Glyph, Weiss rushed at the woman, created another Glyph in midair, and jumped over her, driving her rapier in the ground and creating a large ice wall which consumed the greater part of the Parademons, freezing them in place.

The woman drew her sword and charged at Weiss. "You little-"

Weiss blocked the woman's strike and looked over at Superboy, hoping that he would understand what she was asking of him. "Superboy, now!"

Catching on, Superboy jumped at the glacier and punched it, shattering it instantly and sending ice shards at the some of the Parademons, clearing the field of them as they self-destructed and turned to dust.

The woman pushed Weiss back and swung her sword at her once again. Weiss managed to bring up Myrtenaster in time to block, but she was still sent flying in the air from the force of the attack.

Superboy flew up and caught her before she could catch herself with a Glyph. "You alright, Ice Princess?"

Weiss nodded and created a Glyph for her to stand on so she wouldn't have to be in Superboy's arms, as comfortable as they were.

"She's a lot stronger than she looks." Weiss cautioned, looking down at the cackling woman.

"What's wrong, dear girl? Too afraid to come down and face me?" She taunted from the wheat fields. "No matter, I'll simply have the Parademons come to you."

The woman whistled and called another horde of Parademons which came seemingly from out of nowhere.

Weiss turned to Superboy. "I'll handle the woman, you take the Parademons."

Without waiting for confirmation from Superboy, Weiss used the Glyph she was standing on to launch herself at the woman, making Superboy growl in frustration as he was forced to take on the horde of Parademons which attacked him as soon as Weiss had left.

As Weiss neared the woman, she created a Gravity Glyph under the woman which lessened the effects of gravity on her and struck her with Myrtenaster, sending her flying up into the air.

As soon as she was in the air, Weiss created another Gravity Glyph and pulled her down to the ground, enjoying the loud thud that she heard when the woman hit the ground.

Knowing that the battle was far from over, however, Weiss kept her eyes on the cloud of dust that had formed when the woman hit the ground, certain that she hadn't been defeated just yet.

"My, my, dear, now I see why milord is so interested in you. Your powers are intriguing and seemed to be fueled by those colorful crystals in your rapier." The woman held up her sword and pushed a button on its hilt, making it glow red with intense heat. "My name is Bernadeth, and I am but one of the leaders of the Female Furies."

She held up her sword and waved it around, sending heat waves through the air. "This is my Fahren-Knife. I've killed many with a single thrust, burning my enemies from the inside out. From what I heard, you're quite resilient. Let's see how you fare against my most precious weapon."

Bernadeth smirked and slashed her Fahren-Knife through the air, sending a scorching heat wave towards Weiss, causing the wheat fields in their vicinity to start to burn.

"Weiss!" Superboy called out from the horde of Parademons. "Don't let her burn the wheat fields!" He yelled while punching a Parademon to dust.

Weiss was confused by his request, but since it seemed so important to him, she complied and drove Myrtenaster into the dirt, creating multiple Ice Glyphs in front of her, freezing the wheat and the air to stop the heatwave in its tracks.

The ice melted when the heat wave came in contact, but fortunately, the burning stopped. Loading some more Wind and Water Dust into Myrtenaster, Weiss used it to coat the sword in ice, making it glow an icy blue as the light came from the runes on Myrtenaster and were magnified by the ice that was covering it.

"Fighting fire with ice, how amusing." Bernadeth sniped before charging at Weiss, swinging her knife in a wide arc.

Weiss loaded Energy Dust and used it to create an invisible force field in front of her, blocking Bernadeth's attack and causing her to lose her balance, creating the perfect opening for Weiss to strike, slashing her across the abdomen twice and creating a Glyph over her chest which Weiss used to propel herself off of and kick Bernadeth back, backflipping through the air gracefully while Bernadeth hit the ground hard.

While Bernadeth was getting back up, Weiss glanced over at Superboy who was still fighting off hordes and hordes of Parademons, punching them to dust with his bare fists.

Reassured that he was fine, Weiss looked back at Bernadeth, expecting to find her on the ground, only to see that she was no longer there.

A second too late, Weiss turned around and saw Bernadeth behind her, striking Weiss in the back with her Fahren-Knife, making Weiss go head-first into the wheat from the impact, the intense heat burning away at her Aura at an alarming rate.

Expecting to see a burned corpse when the dust cleared, the smirk on Bernadeth's face morphed into a snarl when she saw that not only was the huntress' beautiful dress unmarred, so was the rest of her.

Driving Myrtenaster into the ground, Weiss used it to help herself stand, angry at herself for getting distracted and giving Bernadeth the opportunity to attack.

"You are no human, for my lovely Fahren-Knife should have burned you from the inside out. Instead, it just glanced off your skin. So, dear girl, what are you? Are you from Krypton? Or another planet?"

Weiss spun the revolver so that it landed on Lightning Dust, preparing to do something very reckless. "I'm completely human. Maybe you're just not as strong as you think you are."

"Oh, little girl, I think you'll find you're playing with fire, and that you won't like it when you get burned." Bernadeth turned her Fahren-Knife to its highest setting, making even the air around them heat up and the wheat around them start to burn.

Bernadeth charged at Weiss with surprising speed, but it was no use, for Weiss had already cast a Time Dilation Glyph under herself.

The world around her slowed down as she, instead of charging directly at Bernadeth, jumped over her with another Glyph and cast a Gravity Glyph under Bernadeth, trapping her in place.

"What sorcery is this?! Why can't I move!" Bernadeth resisted against Weiss' Glyph, causing Weiss to have to expend even more Aura in keeping her down because of how strong she was.

"Superboy!" Weiss yelled, calling the hero's attention from the pile of Parademons that he was under.

With a roar, Superboy forced the remaining Parademons off him, reducing them to dust in his urgency to get to Weiss.

Weiss loaded Fire Dust and mixed it with Lightning Dust, creating a Glyph that had a red snowflake and a yellow snowflake which overlapped each other, hopefully creating a Glyph that would provide Superboy with the speed and power that he needed to put Bernadeth out of commission. Weiss was taking a giant leap of faith as she had never tried that Dust combination before and had no idea if Superboy would even know what to do with her Glyph.

Here goes nothing.

Understanding what Weiss was asking of him, Superboy stepped on the Glyph and launched himself at Bernadeth, the full force of Weiss' Glyph behind him.

Right before Superboy struck Bernadeth, Weiss released her from the Gravity Glyph and loaded Energy Dust, creating a Force Field Glyph about twenty feet behind her.

Glowing with red and yellow energy, Superboy punched Bernadeth in the abdomen with immense force and sent her reeling into Weiss' Force Field Glyph, the impact knocking her out. The Fahren-Knife clattered out of her hand and got stuck in the dirt, powering off as its owner was now defeated.

Superboy breathed hard as he felt the energizing effects of Weiss' Glyphs to wear off. It was an exhilarating feeling to have that kind of power behind him, but he had never felt energy like that go through him, especially so much of it.

Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground and used it to help herself stand, a wave of exhaustion hitting her when the adrenaline wore off. After confirming that Bernadeth was defeated, Weiss allowed herself to feel the effects of all of the Glyphs she had cast in the last minute or so and finally came to the realization that in that fight, most, if not all, of her Aura had been depleted.

For the first time since she started training, Weiss felt herself start to lose consciousness due to a lack of Aura.

Superboy flew over to her when he realized that something was wrong, but by the time he made it over to her, Weiss had already lost consciousness and managed to catch her in his arms before she could hit the ground.

 _Idiot. Using so much of that magic of hers must've tired her out._

Sighing, Superboy took out his phone to call the Justice League, knowing that despite having put Bernadeth out of commission, she would wake up soon enough and want revenge if they didn't put her away quickly.

"Superboy?" The voice on the other line wavered between confused and relieved, making Superboy roll his eyes. He had more pressing matters than dealing with Superman's guilt.

"Superman, I've run into an incident. I need you to send someone to come and detain Bernadeth, one of Darkseid's Furies." Superboy explained, brushing off a piece of wheat that had gotten stuck in Weiss' ridiculously long ponytail.

Superboy knew that after the last bout they had with Darkseid, Superman was feeling guilty about what had happened to Miss Martian. It amazed Superboy that after not wanting anything to do with him in the beginning, Superman thought he could just turn around and want to start acting like a real mentor as if he hadn't left Superboy high and dry when he needed help.

The line was quiet for a few seconds before Superman responded. "The Flash should be arriving in a few minutes."

"Okay." Superboy tried to end the call, not wanting to deal with the Kryptonian he was cloned after any longer. "Thanks, I'll-"

"So… you beat Bernadeth, huh? I've, uh, I've fought her and the other female Furies before and I've gotta say, they're no joke. Did you, uh, take her on your own? From the report that Killer Frost and Vibe sent the League, you're travelling with the girl from the other dimension, right?"

 _Did Superman sound…nervous?_

Superboy sighed internally, knowing the real reason why Superman was trying to prolong their conversation when it was already long dead.

"Weiss did most of the heavy lifting. She was the one who fought Bernadeth while I was dealing with the Parademons, and she gave me a boost with her powers so that I could beat Bernadeth." He explained, annoyed with how Superman was now trying to connect with him after everything that had happened.

"And Weiss. How is she?" Superboy was about to respond but Superman continued, cutting him off. "Listen…I know you're still feeling guilty about M'gann, but that shouldn't keep you from pursuing-"

 _Nope. I am not about to have this conversation with Superman of all people._

A red blur whizzed past him, making Superboy sigh in relief. "Flash just got here, bye Superman."

"Wait, Superboy-"

Superboy ended the call abruptly, pocketing his phone and shifting his grip on Weiss so that he could hold her in a way that wouldn't have her complaining about a sore neck later.

"Dads can be so dense, right Conner?" Flash called out as he placed special handcuffs around the unconscious Bernadeth's wrists.

"He's not my dad, Barry." Superboy retorted, fixing his grip on Weiss, making the Scarlet Speedster's eyes flicker down to the unconscious huntress that the young hero was holding so protectively in arms.

"Then how come you're here? How far away is Martha's house from here, hmm? And last I heard, Lois was visiting Martha this weekend. Don't tell me that's just coincidence, too." Barry continued, much to Superboy's annoyance.

Despite Superman not wanting to be involved much with Superboy initially, Flash seemed to want to make up for it by being an uncle of sorts for Superboy. This also included interrogating him endlessly about girls.

When Barry had found out that Superboy was dating M'gann, Superboy didn't hear the end of it for weeks. Not to mention he got his fair share of teasing from Kid Flash, too, making spending time around the Speedsters a different kind of hell.

"Conner? Barry? Is that you?"

Superboy froze at hearing the familiar crisp voice that belonged to the one and only Lois Lane, the fiery haired, intrepid reporter who had been kidnapped multiple times by war guerrillas and drug lords and managed to make it out without a scratch, even before she met Superman.

Next to Lois was Martha, Superman's adoptive mother who had aged gracefully over the years, now in her sixties with gray streaks in her auburn hair. She smiled when she saw Conner, but the smile faded when she saw the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Do you mind telling me why my fields are covered in alien dust, ice, and ashes?" Martha interrogated. "And why this poor girl is passed out in your arms?"

Flash chuckled nervously at being questioned by the two women and said, "Well, it was lovely seeing you two, but I need to put this nasty alien away as soon as possible. Bye!" He zoomed off before Lois could question him further, making her smile at the fact that despite not having powers, she could make him nervous.

 _Tch. Coward._

Martha tutted at the superhero's actions and shook her head. Glancing at snow-haired girl and noticing how carefully Superboy was holding her, Martha smiled softly and nodded back in the direction of her house. "How about you two stay with us tonight? I'm sure you have quite the explanation for what happened to my field and I'm sure you could both do with some food, a hot shower, and a comfy bed to sleep in."

Looking down at Weiss, Conner nodded. "Thanks, Martha."

️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

When Weiss woke up, she expected to be in Superboy's arms, flying over a forest or some other uninhabited area where they wouldn't be spotted by any random people.

Instead, when Weiss woke up, she found herself in an incredibly comfy bed in a simple room that looked to be a standard guest room with a big dresser against the wall opposite to the bed that had a large mirror on it as well. Soft moonlight came in through the bay window and as she looked at it, Weiss realized that contrary to Remnant's moon, which was broken, this one was completely full.

Weiss admired its beauty, but she couldn't help but feel weird looking at it. She'd spent countless nights just staring at the shattered moon that hung in Remnant sky. Looking at this whole one made her homesick, missing her friends and all the adventures that they shared under their shattered moon.

Weiss stood up and stretched her legs, noticing that there was a set of clean clothes on the dresser that looked to be about her size, consisting of some white socks, some short jean shorts, and a light white t-shirt. Next to the pile of clothes was Myrtenaster's case and Herald's horn, both glowing silver in the moonlight.

There was a note on the clothes, which read:

 _Dear Weiss,_

 _Don't be alarmed, Conner brought you in when you were unconscious, and we set you up in the guest room. You can take a shower in the bathroom that's through the door next to the dresser and put on the clothes that I laid out for you. They used to belong to my niece, so they should fit you fine. Come out to the dining room when you're ready to eat something and make sure to leave your dress out so I can wash it._

 _Welcome to my humble home,_

 _Martha_

Weiss smiled at the woman's kindness. Considering she referred to Superboy by his name instead of his alias, Weiss guessed that this Martha was close to him.

Taking the clothes, Weiss walked into the bathroom and took a relaxing shower, getting rid of all the sweat, dirt, and grime that had accumulated on her body during her fights with Lashina and Bernadeth and using the mint scented shampoo and lotion to freshen up, wanting to get rid of the scent of sweat off herself.

By the time that she got out of the shower and got dressed, it was about eight o'clock. Deciding to leave her hair down so that it could fully dry, Weiss put on the slippers that were next to the door and was instantly bombarded by the smell of fresh macaroni and cheese, something that Klein would make her whenever her father was out on business trips.

Weiss walked through the hallway until she made entered a cozy looking living room which had a nice dining area next to it which lead to a quaint kitchen where two women, one with red hair who looked to be in her early thirties and another who looked to be in her sixties with auburn hair that was starting to gray and some laugh lines that indicated that she spent a large portion of her life smiling.

The older woman looked up when she heard Weiss come in and smiled kindly at her, in a motherly way that Weiss wasn't used to. She nudged the red-haired woman, her attention diverting away from the macaroni and cheese that looked to be nearly ready. She took off her apron and walked out of the kitchen, pulling Weiss in for a hug as soon as she was close enough, surprising Weiss at how forward and open she was despite them being strangers.

The older woman pulled back and looked Weiss in the eyes, making the huntress feel as if the woman was looking into her soul. "Welcome to my humble home, Weiss. My name is Martha. I'm Superman's adoptive mother and Superboy's adoptive grandmother, as much as he likes to deny it."

Weiss blushed when she realized that she was meeting Superboy's family in what were basically pajamas instead of her usual attire.

The red-haired woman was up next and pulled her into another warm hug, smelling of lilacs which made Weiss wonder if lilacs even existed in this world or not. "I'm Lois, Superman's wife and reporter for the Daily Planet, a newspaper company back in Metropolis." Lois introduced after she pulled back from the hug.

"I-" Weiss tried to say some form of thanks, Martha just waved her hand.

"Before you say anything, we just wanted to thank you for looking out for Conner in your time on Earth." Martha guided Weiss gently over to the dining table. "He explained your situation to us and while we might not be much help in getting you back, just know that you'll always have a place to stay with us for all the help that you've given to Conner."

Weiss couldn't help but smile at Martha's maternal nature. Her own mother stopped being a mother when she turned to alcohol in the face of her failed marriage, too absorbed in her own misery to notice how miserably her children were. Weiss was lucky that she had Klein, but her siblings didn't and they grew up even more isolated than she did.

"Thank you. This world isn't that much different than my own on the surface, but it feels so foreign that I can't help but miss my own. It's nice to know that I have a home in this world too." Weiss admitted, her face turning pink as she poured her heart out to two strangers.

Martha smiled softly while Lois' eyes glittered when Weiss mentioned her home world. "So, Weiss, what exactly is your home world like? Conner wasn't very specific with the details." She asked, taking out a pencil and a notepad.

Martha rolled her eyes and pulled the pencil and paper out of her hands. "Don't interview our guest, Lois." Martha smiled apologetically at Weiss. "Forgive her. This intrepid reporter never knows when to stop asking questions. Even when it lands her in immense trouble." She glared pointedly at Lois.

Lois just smiled. "Well, you don't get Pulitzers by playing it safe now do you?" Taking her pencil and paper back from a begrudging Martha, Lois said, "Okay, I won't press you for information, but I do have a question or two. Is that okay?"

Weiss nodded, happy to talk about Remnant with the journalist. "Of-"

"Martha, where did you put my clothes? I can't find them anywhere." Superboy's voice called out from the hallway, prompting Weiss to turn in the direction of his voice.

When Weiss looked at Superboy, her face turned bright red as he was standing in the middle of the living room with nothing but a towel around his waist, revealing his very broad, very muscular shoulders and chest which tapered down to a lean waist and a chiseled abdomen which featured prominent abs. Thick arms crossed over his chest as he stood before them, clearly not registering his effect on Weiss at the moment.

Weiss' mind went blank for a second, trying to process the man standing before her.

When Superboy looked at Weiss, his own face went a little red as he realized that not only was he standing before her half naked, but that she was also in less clothes than before and had her hair down for once, falling like a layer of fresh snow down her back.

They both took each other in for a second, not being able to say anything before Martha came to their rescue. "I put them to wash, sweetie. There should be a set of your father's clothes that you can wear sitting on the counter in your room."

As if remembering that Martha and Lois were in the room, Superboy tore his eyes away from Weiss' and cleared his throat. "Thanks. And he's not my dad." He replied stubbornly as he walked back to his room, Weiss' eyes glued to the muscles in his broad back as they flexed and unflexed as he walked.

When he left the room, the spell over Weiss broke and she turned even more red at the fact that Martha and Lois had just seen her totally ogling someone who they viewed as a son.

Martha and Lois shared a knowing look, but Martha decided to take pity on the poor girl and stood up. "Well, that pot of mac n' cheese isn't going to eat itself, now is it? Let's dig in."

Weiss nodded and smiled nervously, glad that they weren't going to tease her for what just happened.

Martha took out a few bowls and served a hearty amount of the pasta onto Weiss' plate, only to grab an even bigger bowl and fill it to the brim with the pasta, making Weiss realize that it was for Superboy, who probably had an even bigger appetite than Yang.

They ate in silence until Superboy's heavy footsteps sounded through the hall and he came back in some gray sweatpants and a thin white tank top which, while an improvement from the previous towel, still left very little to the imagination.

"So, Weiss," Lois started, taking a break from her own giant bowl of macaroni and cheese. "Are there any boys who are waiting on you back in your world?" She asked with a smirk.

Weiss, who was drinking milk when she asked the question, nearly choked on her drink and set the cup down, trying to keep milk from shooting up her nose and making an even bigger embarrassment of herself than she already had.

"Lois." Martha scolded, though Weiss could tell that she was only doing it out of obligation.

"What? Weiss is a beautiful, polite, talented girl. I'm sure she had no shortage of boys vying for her attention." Lois argued, shooting a playful wink at her.

Weiss thought back to all the boys who had tried to charm her in order to get to her father. Back home, it was hard for Weiss to really get to know someone because they always wanted something from her. They always wanted her for her money or her beauty and always seemed more interested in charming her father than holding a genuine conversation with her.

Weiss' eyes flickered over to Superboy and nearly jumped as her eyes met his burning gaze. She quickly averted her eyes to the bowl of food in front of her and kept them trained on it, not wanting to meet his eyes again. The Titans said that Superboy didn't inherit Superman's heat vision, but from the way that he was looking at her, Weiss could beg to differ.

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to get out of it, Weiss shook her head. "Nothing serious. I didn't really have time for romance back in my world considering everything that my team and I went through."

Lois tutted and shook her head. "That's a shame. Young people like you shouldn't have to be concerned with the fate of the world and getting caught up in the schemes of interdimensional overlords. You should be having fun, going to the state fair and the beach and other teenage things."

Weiss smiled at the idea. While a life like that seemed novel, she would always choose the life of a huntress. Going to the beach wasn't out of the question at all, but by no means would she be doing it without bringing Myrtenaster along with her in case any Grimm showed up.

"What's a state fair?" Weiss asked, the similarity between Remnant and Earth apparently ending at an event called a "state fair".

Martha brought her hand up to her mouth while Lois shook her head. Superboy rolled his eyes at their reactions.

"Oh, you poor thing." Lois reached across the table and put her hand over Weiss'. "Do they really not exist in your world?"

"What are they exactly?" Weiss asked, knowing that there had to be some parallel that existed in her world.

"State fairs are like festivals where people go and ride roller coasters and play games and win prizes. Do you really have nothing like this on Remnant?" Martha asked.

Weiss thought back to the Vytal Festival. "Well, we have festivals which have games and entertainment, but what are roller coasters?"

Lois shook her head furiously. "Absolutely not. I refuse to let you leave this world without having been to a state fair." She turned to Martha. "The state fair is still open, right?"

Martha nodded, a playful smile on her face. "Tomorrow is the last day."

Lois looked at Weiss with a fire in her eyes that matched her hair. "Weiss, tomorrow, you and Conner will go to the state fair and you are not going to worry about the fate of the world or about getting back to your own for the entire night."

"What?!" Superboy sputtered, his mouth full of mac n' cheese.

"No ands, ifs, or buts, Conner. Tomorrow, you're escorting this lovely girl to the state fair and you will enjoy yourselves. Is that clear?" Martha reinforced, the same fire that was in Lois' eyes blazing in her own.

"Really, Lois, Martha, it's okay. You don't have to-" Weiss tried to protest.

"You're going tomorrow and that is final. Are we clear?" Lois asserted, not taking 'no' for an answer.

Superboy shoved a giant spoonful of mac n' cheese in his house begrudgingly.

"Crystal."

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 **A.N. I'm really enjoying the dynamic that Lois and Martha have with Superboy, in case you didn't notice.**

 **Their relationship with him may not exactly be canon, but I like how it's turning out and I like how they interact with Weiss as well, especially since Weiss didn't exactly have a mother figure growing up. She had Winter, but even she was in and out of her life, so I like the idea of developing her relationship with them.**

 **But anyways, thanks for listening to my (not so) little author's notes and as always,** until next time!

 _P.S. I know I said I'd update every Friday, but I just found out that I accidentally posted this chapter on AO3 when I was editing a few days ago so I decided to post it on here too to be fair._


	6. Getting Closer

A.N. Thanks to everyone who reviews, favorites, and follows my humble little story. As a new writer, I'm always aware of the feedback and the reception that my story gets and every single notification I get makes me giddy inside. So please, continue to review, favorite, and follow if you want more of this story. You guys are my motivation and you make it so much easier to stick to the deadlines that I set myself.

Thanks so much and on with the story!

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"Is this really appropriate?"

"Oh hush, you look adorable." Martha cooed as she put the finishing touches on Weiss' outfit by fitting her tiara to her ponytail.

"I don't feel comfortable going without Myrtenaster."

"Sorry, but stabbing implements are strictly prohibited within the fairgrounds." Lois grinned as she fixed the necklace she lent to Weiss which was a snowflake with a diamond embedded in the center and at the end of each branch.

"And I really can't wear heels with this?"

Lois and Martha laughed lightly at Weiss' complaints, knowing that they weren't really sincere. They knew that she was just nervous to go out and spend the day with Conner.

"Aren't these more comfortable?" Martha asked, looking at the white Converse that Weiss was wearing. "I honestly don't know how you do it. Heels are hard enough to walk in, but from what Conner told us, you do much more than that when you fight. And besides, they're cute and go with your outfit."

Weiss squirmed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She broke away from her usual icy color palette and instead went with her white sneakers, a white skirt that fell a little below mid-thigh, and a loose, light pink long sleeve shirt.

"I think after wearing heels so often I'm almost more used to fighting in them than regular shoes." Weiss admitted, not liking how she now had to look up a little more in order to look at Martha and Lois' faces.

Lois laughed lightly, seeing a look of annoyance flash across Weiss' face as she tried to grab for the brush that was on top of the armoire that Martha had in her room, but couldn't because of her height.

She reached over and grabbed the brush and brushed the last few tangles out of Weiss' curled ponytail, smiling as the girl turned red with embarrassment.

"Though one certainly can't deny the elegance, or the height," Lois smiled teasingly at Weiss, making the huntress pout. "That heels provide."

Satisfied that Weiss was ready for her "outing" which was "most certainly not a date", Martha set the brush down and gave Weiss a hug. "You're all ready. Conner should be waiting outside already."

Lois peered outside the window and nodded, a light smile appearing on her face as she watched him pace back and forth. "You better hurry, Weiss. With his enhanced speed and strength, he'll create a tornado with how much he's pacing."

Weiss' face turned pink and she just shook her head. "Thank you, for everything." She said with a smile before heading through the door and then running down the stairs, eager to experience what Martha dubbed "A quintessential American experience"

When she opened the door, Weiss nearly smacked Superboy in the face with it as he was right in front of the door when she stepped outside. Luckily, he caught it with his superhuman reflexes and opened it the rest of the way, revealing Weiss in her new Earth clothes.

Superboy's face turned red as he took in her appearance, noticing how cute she looked in casual Earth clothes instead of her usual dress and high heels.

He smirked as he realized how short she really was without her heels and wondered if she would be able to get on all of the rides at the fair.

As Weiss took in Superboy's outfit, which comprised of a fitted white button-up which had the sleeves rolled up and was opened, revealing a white t-shirt with his emblem on it in a light blue. He had thrown on some light blue jeans and white sneakers which were bulkier than Weiss' and had a curved blue checkmark on the side, most likely an Earth brand that she didn't know the name of.

Weiss let herself appreciate for a second how even in casual clothes, Superboy's impressive physique was still on full display, the shirt stretching around his broad shoulders and his large biceps. After that second was over, Weiss frowned as she noticed that without her heels, their height difference was even greater now and that she barely reached his chest.

"What took you so long?" Superboy asked, a smirk playing on his face as he was well aware of the huntress checking him out earlier.

"Lois and Martha were a _bit_ overzealous in their attempts to help me blend in." Weiss admitted, toying with the sparkly snowflake necklace around her neck.

Superboy almost scoffed.

 _Blend in? Looking like that, every guy within a five mile radius is gonna be staring at her._

"Let's get going. The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave." He grumbled, walking over to a garage that was separate from the house.

Weiss frowned, but followed him, determined not to let his grumpy attitude ruin her day.

Lifting the garage door open, Superboy revealed a car that was covered in a dusty white tarp that looked like it hadn't been moved in years. He pulled the tarp off and revealed a sleek, ruby red car that had a mustang symbol on the front on the front.

He unlocked the door on Weiss' side and pulled it open for her roughly before walking around and getting in the driver's side.

Weiss rolled her eyes at his gruffness and got in the car, jumping when Superboy turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life, the loud engine reminding her of a Manticore or another beast type Grimm.

"Don't have cars in your world?" Superboy smirked as they pulled out of the driveway and started driving along the road, the wheat fields swaying in the wind.

"We do, but they run on Dust, so they're a bit different than the ones here." Weiss responded, listening to the sound of the engine roaring as they raced down the empty countryside.

Superboy pressed a button on the side of the steering wheel so the car's top came down, letting the summer breeze flow over them, the air smelling of sunshine.

Weiss grabbed her ponytail and laid it across her lap, not wanting it to get caught in anything accidentally or something of the sort, making Superboy grin at how long her hair was despite the fact that she fought so often.

"You know, for someone who's supposed to be a warrior of the people, you sure do go out of your way to make fighting harder." Superboy commented, taking note of the delicate tiara in her hair, her incredibly long ponytail, her short dress, and the heels that she constantly wore.

"Just because I'm a huntress doesn't mean I have dress like a soldier." Weiss argued, thinking back to the Atlas military uniform and Winter's uniform. "And besides, I have much more mobility in a _combat skirt_ ," She specified pointedly, remembering all the times he called her outfit a dress. "Than I would in pants."

Superboy smirked at how riled up she seemed about the subject. "And the ponytail and the heels? Having that much hair on one side of your head has got to mess with balance, not to mention walking in those all the time."

Weiss humphed. "A true huntress can fight in anything."

Winter had taught her to never sacrifice her individuality for sensibility, training she trained Weiss how to fight in high heels. Weiss used to wear her ponytail back instead of the side, so that was something that she had to adjust to, but when she was younger, it was shorter, so the adjustment to its length was gradual.

"Oh, forgive me, _true huntress_ , for I should have never questioned your honor." Superboy apologized facetiously, making Weiss laugh despite herself.

"And what about you, Mr. Superhero? If I recall, skinny jeans aren't exactly protocol for fighting supervillains." Weiss countered.

Superboy scoffed, trying to keep the smile off his face. "They're not skinny jeans and I'm not the one doing backflips and who knows what else off magic platforms."

With how muscular his legs were, his jeans definitely fit him like skinny jeans, but Weiss decided not to say anything to avoid giving his ego a boost. "How many times do I have to remind you? They're Glyphs. And it's not magic, it's called a Semblance."

Superboy wanted to fire back, but knowing her, it would just go on forever, so he just shook his head, deciding to let the huntress have this one. "Yeah, yeah."

Satisfied with his answer, Weiss turned her attention back to the waves of grain that were starting to diminish as they got closer and closer to the fairgrounds, which was just outside of another giant city, though this one wasn't quite the size of Central City or Jump City.

Before long, the fairgrounds came into view, revealing a festival of sorts with bright and colorful booths everywhere, selling food and souvenirs as well as hosting games which had prizes which usually came in the form of stuffed animals.

Looking at everything made Weiss smile as she remembered the Vytal festival, but that smile was wiped off her face when she saw the large metal contraptions that were towering over the fairgrounds.

Weiss stiffened when she heard the screams of the people on it as they were zipped around at amazing speeds in the different rides. Listening to the screams, Weiss could tell they were screams of enjoyment, but she still didn't like the look of the rides or how fast they were going.

Noticing Weiss stiffen, Superboy placed his hand over hers without thinking. "Relax, they're not at bad as they look."

At feeling his warm hand cover her own, Weiss relaxed and her face grew warm, the intimate gesture both calming her and making her heart rate speed up.

Weiss cleared her throat and looked away from him, keeping her eyes trained on the nicer parts of the fair like the booth that had plush panda bears as prizes.

"I can see why these don't exist in my world." Weiss commented, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

"Why not?" He asked, making no attempt to remove his hand now that he had learned how much he liked how his large hand enveloped her smaller one.

"The Creatures of Grimm, the monsters that live in my world, are attracted to negative emotions. I know these rides are made for having fun and adrenaline rushes, but with so many people in one place the negative emotions, even fleeting ones, can build up quickly." She explained, a frown forming on her face.

Noticing this, he squeezed her hand gently. "Luckily for us, we're not in your world, so you can get as scared as you want without worrying about them showing up."

Weiss pulled her hand away from Superboy's, feeling a little woozy at the sudden closeness between them, but smiled nonetheless. "You're right. Let's do as Martha and Lois suggested and just enjoy ourselves."

Superboy's face hardened when Weiss pulled away but when he saw Weiss smile, he couldn't help but smile as well.

"Let's do it."

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"I think I'm going to be sick." Weiss' face turned green as they stepped off their first roller coaster, appropriately named "The Hurler".

"So you can do backflips and jump from Glyphs at high speeds, but you can't handle a simple roller coaster?" Superboy smirked, gently pushing Weiss to sit at a bench near the exit of the ride.

"I don't normally stay upside-down for more than two seconds when I'm fighting, nor do I ever spin so much." Weiss closed her eyes and laid her head on Superboy's shoulder, trying to fight off the waves of nausea that were washing over her.

Superboy stiffened, fighting the urge to glare at anyone who looked at them as they walked by, knowing that their current position made them look like a couple. "Let's avoid the big rides for now. You wanna play some games?"

Weiss raised her head and looked around at all the different booths and the prizes that they had, feeling the nausea start to wear off. "That sounds much safer." She breathed, taking her head off his shoulder, not even noticing her effect on him.

Superboy watched her stand up, her eyes scanning their surroundings for something. When she found what she was looking for, she smiled and pointed at a booth that was across from them, filled to the brim with stuffed pandas. "Let's go to that one, Super-"

"Conner." He interrupted, his eyes focused on the hot dog stand across from them.

"Sorry?" Weiss asked, tilting her head in confusion.

He cleared his throat and looked up at her, his face a light red. "We're in civilian clothes, call me Conner."

Weiss' face turned a similar shade of red and she looked down at her shoes. "And when we're back to fighting evil and saving the day?"

He stood up beside her and put his hand on her head, a smirk playing on his face. "Call me Conner."

Weiss huffed and pushed his heavy hand off her head, pointing over at the booth with the stuffed pandas. "Let's go, _Conner_." She tested out his name, liking how more personal it seemed to call him that than just Superboy.

She walked over to the nearest booth, which just so happened to be the booth with the stuffed panda bears, each one a different color. The actual booth had various bottles on a grid with the objective being to throw as many rings as possible onto the bottles with certain bottles being worth more or less points than the other.

Conner frowned as a booth with a bunch of stuffed pandas caught Weiss' attention. He had been to the state fair many times since Martha and Lois took him in after the battle with Darkseid and he knew for a fact that this booth was rigged.

Most or all the bottles that were worth more points had wider necks, meaning that even if you were able to throw the ring with accuracy, it would still bounce off and keep people from getting the better prizes.

 _Like that baby blue panda that Weiss is eyeing._

Conner sighed as Weiss walked over to the booth, knowing that it would end badly before it even started.

"Hello there." The worker greeted in what Conner guessed he thought was a suave voice. "Would the lovely lady like a try at my humble booth?" The person who worked the booth, a skinny skater boy with greasy hair, winked at Weiss. She smiled wryly, her irritation coming through loud and clear, though it didn't seem the boy was listening.

Conner walked up behind Weiss and gave the sleazy guy a death glare, crossing his arms and flexing them so he looked as intimidating as possible to the little shit.

She rolled her eyes when she felt his presence behind her, knowing without a doubt that he was glaring at the boy due to the ghostly white color that the he had turned when Conner walked up.

"She would." Weiss responded with the same charming smile that she gave to all of her father's misogynistic business partners.

"G-Great. Th-that'll be one ticket, p-please." He stuttered, not daring to look either of them in the eyes and handing Weiss five rings with a shaking hand. "Purple bottles are one point, green are two, blue are three, red are four, silver are five, and gold are ten."

Weiss gave him the ticket and looked at the baby blue panda, noticing the price tag on it that read forty points, meaning that she would have to land at least four rings on the gold bottles.

"Wh-whenever you're ready." The poor guy accidentally looked back up at Conner and nearly wet himself with the sheer intensity of his glare. It was almost as if he had heat vision and was trying to burn him alive with it.

Weiss nodded and tossed the first ring at the gold bottle in the center. The ring went a little farther than she had intended it to and instead went on one of the silver bottles instead.

She was about to throw another one, but Conner grabbed it from her before she could.

"Hey! Give it-"

He bent down to her ear level and whispered, "The game is rigged. These rings aren't wide enough to fit around the gold bottles. Let me handle this one."

The proximity of his lips to her ear made a shiver go down Weiss' spine. Deciding that she'd rather have the panda bear than keep her pride, she gave the rest of the rings to Conner, interested to see how he would handle the challenge.

Conner stepped forward and flicked the first ring with ease, the ring spinning rapidly in the air before it landed perfectly on top of the gold bottle, making the booth worker's jaw drop.

And just as easily as the first one, he flicked the remaining rings onto the bottles, each one landing as perfect as the last.

The boy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw all four rings sitting perfectly on top of the gold bottles, the superhuman feat too much for his mind to process.

With a smirk, Conner reached up and grabbed the blue panda bear off its hook and offered it to Weiss. She rolled her eyes and took the panda bear, shaking her head at the poor boy who looked like his head was going to explode over what he just saw.

"Proud of yourself?" She asked as they walked away from the ring toss booth, weaving their way through the people that were walking about the fairgrounds.

"That I wiped the smirk off that sleazy kid's face?"

"That you used your powers so blatantly in public." Weiss turned around to look at him- or at least look _up_ at him and put a hand on her hip. "Aren't we supposed to be off the radar?"

Conner scoffed, his eyes focused on the high striker game that was across the fairgrounds. "I'd hardly call that using my powers in public."

Following his eyeline, Weiss noticed a game where someone had to use a big mallet to strike a lever in an attempt to get the puck to hit the bell at the top. It seemed that the game relied on sheer force to win, something that Conner had in spades thanks to his Kryptonian genetics.

"Don't even think about it." She warned, noting that in the past few minutes even the biggest guys couldn't get it past the halfway point. "I think that might be a little more obvious than a simple ring toss game."

He patted her head, jovially reminding Weiss of their height difference. "Don't worry about it, Ice Princess, I'll be fine. Here," He pulled out a rectangular piece of paper with a picture of an old man in the center and the number twenty in every corner and handed it to her. "Take this, you can buy some food while you wait."

"But-" She protested in vain.

"I'll be back." He walked off to the game before Weiss could protest anymore, no doubt eager to prove his superior masculinity to the group of guys crowded around the game.

She huffed and turned around to the food court, only for her to bump into someone as she turned around, tripping over her own feet and falling on the floor from the collision.

"Ow." Weiss mumbled in embarrassment, rubbing her slightly aching head.

"Sorry about that. Here, let me help you up." The guy who she crashed into held out his hand, the sunlight coming from overhead casting a shadow over his face.

She took his hand and let him help her up, making sure to brush off all of the dirt off her skirt and out of her hair.

Positive that she had no more dirt in her hair, Weiss turned back to the guy. "It's fi-"

Weiss froze when she finally got a good look at the stranger's face. He bore an uncanny resemblance to the Kryptonian clone that she had been travelling with for the past few days, and to top it off, the black shirt that he was wearing had the exact same emblem that Conner wears on his shirt, except this one was completely red.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He asked with a mischievous smirk on his face, probably thinking that Weiss was checking him out.

His cheekiness brought Weiss back to earth and she shook her head, taking notice of the differences between him and Conner instead of the similarities. The new guy had a more square-shaped face and had a leaner build while Conner's face and profile were much more angular, and quite frankly, more handsome in Weiss' opinion.

His mouth twitched for a second but he wiped it off as soon as it came on, a polite smile replacing it.

"Sorry, it's just that you look a lot like a friend of mine." Weiss explained, knowing that the similarities between him and Connor and the emblem on his chest were no coincidence.

"Guess I just have one of those faces." He answered breezily, crossing his arms over his chest.

Weiss rolled her eyes inwardly and held out her hand. "I'm Weiss Schnee, nice to meet you."

He smirked and took her hand, shaking it just a tad too firmly.

"The name's Jon. Jon Kent."

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 _ **A.N. Ooh, another Kent has entered the building.**_

 _ **When I was researching Superboy and Conner Kent, I happened upon the character of Jon Kent who, much like the vast majority of DC characters, has many iterations and timelines to choose from.**_

 _ **I won't say which iteration I chose, but I will say that I really like delving into the extensive DC universe and I'm very excited for what Weiss is going to face next.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	7. Drastic Measures

A.N. If I were to bring in another character of RWBY, who would you guys like to see? I'm curious to know since I've been toying with the idea in the last few chapters but I don't know who exactly would fit in best. Personally, I think it would be adorable if Zwei made an appearance, but I'm interested to know what you guys think.

And just as a reminder, I highly suggest you guys check this story out on Archive of Our Own because I've added in some pretty cool gifs and pictures to help with the visualization of the characters that I can't put on here because of formatting restrictions.

Anyways, now that I've got that little shameless plug out of the way, on with the story!

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 _Jon Kent?_

Upon hearing his name, Weiss had no doubt that he was related in some way to Conner and Martha, but she couldn't help but be suspicious.

 _He and Conner could be twins, but how come no one ever mentioned him?_

Weiss stepped back subconsciously, not knowing whether or not to be on guard around this new character.

"Well it was nice meeting you Jon, but I should go, my friend is waiting for me." Weiss smiled politely and turned around to leave.

Before she could even take a step, Jon grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her back, his grip so tight she needed to use Aura to keep from bruising.

"Why leave so soon? We were just getting to know each other." He smirked, his going from carefree and lax to menacing in an instant.

Weiss' heart dropped as she realized what she had just gotten herself into. She could feel something in the back of her mind, as if something sharp was jabbing at the defenses of her Aura, trying to get into her mind.

Weiss created a small Glyph under him which forced him back enough for her to break free of his grasp, jumping back a few feet away from him so he wouldn't be able to grab her again.

"Who-what are you?" Weiss asked, her head starting to ache from the amount of Aura she was using to protect it.

Jon smiled maliciously and pointed at the emblem on his chest. "I'm Superboy Prime, the son of Superman and the true heir to the title of Superboy. I'm Superman's flesh and blood, unlike your boyfriend Conner, who's nothing more than a lab experiment gone wrong."

Weiss instinctively reached for Myrtenaster, only to realize that it was back at Martha's house, leaving her at a vast disadvantage against Jon, especially if he had powers similar to Superboy.

 _If I can't fight him, then I'll have to keep him busy until Conner comes back. I can't put everyone in the fairgrounds at risk._

"So, tell me then, how does the so-called son of one of the greatest superheroes on Earth become a villain? If you're the _true_ Superboy, then how come you're not working with your father right now?" Weiss baited, hoping and praying that he was more of a talker than Conner.

Jon smirked, seeing right through Weiss' attempt to keep him occupied. "If you're waiting for your precious Conner to come and save you, I'm afraid to say that he's a little occupied at the moment."

Weiss' mocking smile fell and her posture tensed, wanting nothing more than to be able to run him through with Myrtenaster. "What did you do to him?"

His face twisted in a smirk and stuck his hands inside his pockets innocently. " _I_ did nothing, but my friend _Doctor Light_ , on the other hand…"

As if on cue, a bright burst of light came from the other side of the fairgrounds, followed by a loud explosion that caused strong tremors to surge through the ground.

The people in the surrounding area screamed and ran away from the scene in a panic, creating a mob of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get away from the fight that was going on on the other side of the fair.

Deciding she had had enough, Weiss created a Glyph under her and used it to propel herself upwards. Just as she was about to make her way to the location of the explosion, Weiss got pulled down to the ground as if there were a Gravity Glyph under her.

Before she could hit the ground, she created another Glyph, but because of her lack of Gravity Dust, she went right through it, the Glyph shattering as she plummeted and hit the ground hard.

"You didn't think I was going to let you off that easy, now did you?" Superboy Prime smirked as he walked up to Weiss who was on the ground, panting with effort in her failed attempts to get out of his grasp.

"Though I've gotta say, you're stronger than you look. Even now, the energy that you have around you is protecting you from my powers. The clone himself can't last more than five minutes without succumbing." He taunted as he stood over Weiss, the huntress trying to stand up despite feeling like she had an entire mine of Gravity Dust underneath her.

"So you're the one who's been giving me a headache for the past ten minutes." Weiss concluded as she used a Glyph to get up off the ground, much to Superboy Prime's surprise. "You should be proud, it usually takes Ruby at least twenty minutes before she starts to give me a headache."

"How can you stand?! You're four feet tall and eighty pounds!" Superboy Prime growled in anger, confused as to why Weiss was able to even move with the full force of his telekinetic powers baring down on her.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at him, the comment about her height really rubbing her the wrong way. "You know, I'm getting real tired of people in this world underestimating me."

Weiss created a Glyph over his chest and propelled herself backwards off it, kicking Superboy Prime back and giving her the chance to put some distance between them.

With Superboy Prime startled, Weiss took the opportunity to create a line of Glyphs in the direction of the explosion earlier. Hopefully, she would be able to reach Conner before Superboy Prime came back.

As Weiss ran across her Glyphs, she groaned when she felt the piercing headache return, this time with a vengeance as Superboy Prime flew behind her, creating destruction and mayhem wherever he went. Fortunately, all of the civilians had cleared out so she wouldn't be putting anyone in danger by leading Jon further into the fairgrounds.

Another burst of light erupted from the rodeo stadium that was in the center of the fairgrounds, the explosion reducing the surrounding booths to ash.

"Aahh!" A pained yell tore through the air as another explosion overtook the rodeo stadium and Conner was sent flying from the impact.

Weiss jumped off a Glyph and was about to go to him, but she was stopped by another wave of telekinetic force from Superboy Prime and she was forced to the ground, crying out as pain seared through her back at the impact.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jon smirked as he flew over to Weiss, stopping about ten feet away from her as she stood up again.

Weiss took in a shaky breath, the impact from the fall having done more damage than she would have liked. She knew that without Myrtenaster and her Dust she'd be no match for Superboy Prime, and judging by the amount of explosions that were coming from the other side of the fairgrounds, she could tell that Superboy wasn't doing too great either.

"Tell me something, Jon. How does the son of "Earth's Protector" end up working for Darkseid? I haven't been in this world for very long, but even I know that something's wrong." Weiss stalled, keeping her eyes focused on the Kryptonian so as not to cause suspicion.

Jon stiffened at her question but made no move to attack her again, allowing Weiss a moment of reprieve so she could catch her breath.

"Like you, I'm not from this universe, but one that's parallel to this one. It's almost exactly the same, except with a few differences." Jon's mouth turned downwards into a frown, as if remembering a bad memory. "In this universe, Superman and Lois Lane were never able to have children because the difference in genetic makeup between Kryptonians and humans is too great. In my universe on the other hand…"

Weiss' mind raced at the idea of multiple versions of this universe existing, all within their own pocket of the space time continuum that ran adjacent to Remnant's universe.

 _Does this mean that there are multiple versions of Remnant too?_

"In my universe, Clark Kent and Lois Lane conceived a child, me, but because of the unstable genetic makeup that made me half human, half Kryptonian, I got sick and went catatonic."

For a brief second, Weiss saw pain and anguish in his eyes, but that look soon got replaced with pure malice, raw emotion filled with anger and pain that made his blue eyes turn to steel. "I was revived by a man named Harvest and I was brought to this dimension. He taught me about the abominations known as Metahumans and he trained me, honing me as his weapon to kill all Metahumans in this universe, and every universe in existence."

Weiss could feel his raw emotions pounding away at her Aura's defenses like a superheated hammer. Even as he spoke he was trying to get into Weiss' head with his powers, trying to get her to fall under his control.

"So, you were brainwashed as a child." Pretending as if her head didn't feel like a hundred Lancers were buzzing inside it, Weiss wiped dirt off her skirt nonchalantly. "That explains the psychosis. Did it ever occur to you that you're no more than a puppet to Harvest?"

Weiss couldn't help the pang she felt in her heart at his story- he had been kidnapped and ripped from his family as a child, being raised by a psychopath who had a murderous agenda stained with more blood than her father's name.

 _But that doesn't excuse his actions and feeling sorry for him definitely won't help me get out of this situation alive._

Jon clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at Weiss' confidence despite the amount of power he was exerting over her, as if she didn't even feel it.

"You don't know what you're talking about, so why don't you shut up before I make you?" He threatened, the vein in his forehead becoming more prominent as he got angrier.

Weiss smirked at his reaction, knowing that she had him right where she wanted him. Winter's words echoed in her mind as she watched Jon's emotions get the best of him.

 _Emotions can grant you strength, but you must never let them overpower you._

Her pounding headache got stronger, but she ignored it, focused on the task at hand- taking down the Kryptonian who had dared ruin her day at the state fair.

Weiss created a Summon Glyph in front of her, forming a large Boarbatusk in front of her which growled menacingly at Jon.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the Kryptonian hybrid and placed a hand on her hip. "It looks like you'll have to make me."

Jon's eyes widened and he stepped back, the beast made of ice and Aura growling at him as it stood protectively in front of Weiss.

"What the-"

Another loud explosion boomed from the rodeo stadium, distracting Jon just long enough for Weiss to make her move.

"Now!" She called out, commanding her Boarbatusk so that it rolled towards him at dangerous speeds, its sharp tusks glinting in the sunlight.

Even though Jon was distracted, he managed to catch the Boarbatusk by the horns, reducing it to dust and ice particles, but by then, he was already too late.

Using his distraction to take her chance, Weiss created a line of Glyphs towards the rodeo stadium, Summoning Lancers and Beowolves behind her to keep him busy as she made her escape.

The stadium's bleachers went as far as the eye could see and the arena was as big as Amity Arena, if not slightly smaller, completely bare except for a few brightly colored barrels at the center of the arena.

Weiss' heart stopped when she entered the arena, a small gasp escaping her when she saw Conner writhing in pain as he endured blast after blast of energy from a man wearing a black suit which silver sun on his chest, silver lines filled with colorful light energy running from the sun over his body.

Every time he blasted Conner with the light energy, the silver sun glowed even brighter, indicating that the suit was his power source and that this "Doctor Light" wouldn't be much of a threat without it.

"Aah!" Conner roared in pain as Doctor Light blasted him into the bleachers with a red hot light beam.

"What's wrong, Superboy?" He cackled, his suit powering up for another energy blast. "Afraid of the light?!"

Weiss knew that she shouldn't overextend herself since her Summons were still fighting Superboy Prime outside, but she also knew that she had no choice if they wanted to make it out of their "peaceful outing" alive.

Just as Doctor Light shot another energy blast at Conner, Weiss created a Glyph in front of him to at least diminish the damage since she didn't have Energy Dust with her to create a proper Force Field Glyph.

"What?!" Doctor Light yelled in surprise as a large Glyph appeared in front of Conner.

Instead of shattering it like Weiss had expected, the beam of light energy bounced off the Glyph, directing itself back in the direction of Doctor Light and hitting him square in the chest. The silver sun on his chest cracked from the impact and the sheer force from the energy beam sent him through the stadium bleachers, the structure collapsing on top of him after he went through it.

Not bothering to check to see if Doctor Light was incapacitated, Weiss ran over to Conner and sat down next to him, pulling his head to rest on her lap so she could check to see if he was breathing properly or not.

Weiss grimaced as she examined him, his body covered in burns and bruises, his shirt in tatters, revealing even more burns and bruises that littered his chest, marring his tan skin.

Conner coughed and groaned, opening his eyes and looking at Weiss with an irritated look in his steel blue eyes. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Weiss fought the urge to smack the hero upside his big head. She narrowed her eyes at him, settling for a flick on the forehead, making Conner wince at the slight pain. "I was saving you, you dolt."

Conner tried to get up but Weiss put her hand on his chest and pushed him down, earning an irritated glare that Weiss couldn't care less for. "You're wounded, you'll only injure yourself more."

He grabbed her hand and put it back on her lap, pushing himself up despite the searing pain that came from his not-quite-healed wounds. "I heal quickly, I'm fine. Besides, we need to get out of here before-"

Weiss felt the painfully familiar headache come on again, this time accompanied by the sound of metal crumpling and twisting. She looked towards the entrance and saw Superboy Prime breaking through the structure of the stadium, crushing it with his bare hands as if it were made of Styrofoam.

"Before what, bro?" He taunted, clearly enjoying seeing the other Superboy in pain.

Weiss stood up next to Conner, standing strong despite her Aura levels starting to go dangerously low and the pounding headache that Superboy Prime was causing.

Conner swung an arm around her shoulders protectively, though by the weight that he was putting on her, Weiss could tell that it was so he wouldn't keel over. "Before the deranged jackass comes back and picks a fight he can't win." Conner finished, a cocky smirk on his face despite needing Weiss to keep him from falling from exhaustion.

Jon laughed, finding the idea of an unarmed, prissy girl and an injured, lesser version of himself posing a threat to him hilarious.

He raised an eyebrow, certain that a strong enough wind could take out the pair at this point. "No offense, brother, but you don't look too hot right now, and neither does princess over there. What makes you think that you can take me on?"

Weiss glowered at Jon for calling her 'princess', her eyes as icy as her Semblance. "Who says we need to take you on?" She responded, a smirk similar to Jon's on her face.

Weiss extended her hand forward and created a Summoning Glyph in the middle of the stadium, the Glyph spinning slowly at first, trying to gain momentum because of Weiss' low Aura levels.

The Summoning Glyph spun faster and faster, the swirls on the Glyph almost hypnotizing as they spun around, creating a horde of thin, emaciated creatures which resembled white zombies, their sharp claws, thin bones, and creepy faces looking menacing despite how slowly they moved.

Jon's eyes widened and he stepped back, the horrifying creatures already exerting their power over him.

"Wh-what are you doing to me?!" Jon's eyes widened in fear as he tried to use his powers, only to find that he couldn't anymore.

Ever since Weiss and her team first encountered Apathy Grimm, she was determined not to have to use this Summon unless it was an emergency. Even though the Apathy Summons were under her control, she still wasn't strong enough to have complete control over them, and as a result, if she wasn't careful, Weiss herself could be falling under the effects of their power.

They were physically weak, so it wasn't too hard for Weiss to Summon so many of them, but after all of the Summoning that she had done before, she staggered a bit at the effort that it took to call them forth.

"Weiss…What are those things?" Conner asked her, his eyes focused on the creatures as they slowly walked towards Jon, their thin claws stretched outwards towards him.

Weiss shook off the horrifyingly familiar tired feeling that she got the first time she encountered them and closed her eyes, knowing that the worst had yet to come for Jon.

"They're Apathy Grimm." Weiss explained, her voice hollow as she remembered the hordes and hordes of these Grimm that she encountered in the underground waterway. "They steal a person's will to escape, to fight, to breathe, to live, even. I encountered an entire pack of these monsters with my team and we barely made it out alive." Weiss shuddered at the memory, the sickening feeling of having her will sapped out of her still present in her memory.

The Apathy released a deafening scream, making Weiss open her eyes to see Jon trip over his own feet as he clung to the last of his energy. When he hit the floor, the light left his eyes and he curled up in a ball, the Apathy having sapped the last of his will to live.

A tear fell down Weiss face at the sight, the once haughty villain now reduced to a husk of his former self. She would never wish that feeling on anyone, not even her greatest enemy, but unfortunately, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Conner yawned and rubbed his eye, his pupils dilated and his once steel blue eyes now a dull gray. "I'm tired, Weiss."

Weiss' heart stopped and flashes of her time in that horrid house came back.

 _Sorry, Ruby, I'm just really tired._

Weiss snapped out of her nightmare and dispelled the Summon, sighing in relief as the Apathy were reduced to ice crystals and dissipated in the summer air.

She looked back up at Conner and sighed in relief when his pupils went back to their normal and regained their solid steel blue color once more.

Conner blinked a few times when he felt the weird pressure in his head lift, the world becoming brighter and more colorful as if a grayscale filter had been removed from his vision.

"Ugh, never do that again." He groaned, shaking off the last of the dull headache that had been affecting him.

Weiss kept her eyes on Jon, who was still curled up in a ball, having faced the full brunt of the powers of the Apathy, barely registering his comment. Reassuring herself that he was down for the count, she tugged on the remnants of Conner's shirt and looked back in the direction of Martha's house. "We need to get out of here. Do you know anyone who can take care of Jon and Doctor Light?"

Conner nodded, frowning when he realized that his favorite shirt was now torn to shreds. "Yeah, I can call-"

Before Conner could pull out his phone, two beams of blood red energy came down from the sky and landed on Jon and Doctor Light, pulling them up higher and higher until they were finally teleported away, making Conner stiffen when he realized who had transported them away.

"Weiss, get behind me. _Now_." Conner's face hardened and he pushed Weiss behind him. Weiss was about to protest, but the serious look on his face stopped her.

Another blood red light flashed down from the sky, but this time, it formed a grotesque skeletal figure that remind Conner of the Grim Reaper, except it wore red bandages over its arms and eyes as well, only leaving the lower half of its face uncovered. Black feathered wings sprouted out of its emaciated body, matching the black hood that it wore over its face.

To top off the Grim Reaper look, the creature held a scythe in its right hand that was made out of rotting red wood that resembled raw flesh. The actual blade was made of energy and it looked as if the scythe was actually a staff that could be converted into a scythe and other weapons if need be.

Weiss gasped and stepped back subconsciously, the creature in front of them reminding her too much of the Grimm back on Remnant, though Weiss could tell that this…thing, whatever it was, was much more dangerous.

Conner crossed his arms, his stance strong now that his wounds had healed. "Harvest." He stood up straight and made himself as big as possible, determined to keep the psychopath's attention off Weiss.

"The clone thinks he can address me as if he were my equal. How amusing." Harvest rasped, his voice sounding exactly how Weiss would expect a living skeleton/demon to sound.

Harvest then turned his attention to Weiss, making her heart beat faster at the feeling of his gaze burning right through her, despite his eyes being covered. "That was quite the display you put on earlier. Tell me, girl, what were those creatures that you summoned earlier? I've seen into the depths of hell itself, yet I've never encountered creatures such as those." Harvest commented, almost sounding impressed.

Weiss cleared her throat and stepped out from behind Conner, much to his annoyance. Remembering that this was the man who brainwashed Jon and took him from his family, Weiss placed a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him. "Let's just say I'm not from around here."

Not liking Harvest's interest in Weiss, Conner's muscles tensed. "Get lost Harvest. The Flash is getting here any minute and the rest of the Justice League are on their way. You really wanna go toe to toe with them right now?" He bluffed, hoping that Harvest would buy it.

In peak condition, _maybe_ Conner would have a chance against Harvest, and if Weiss was armed he'd have no doubt they could hold their own against a supervillain of his strength, but since he wasn't in great shape and Weiss didn't have her weapon, they wouldn't stand a chance against the terrorist from ten centuries in the future.

Weiss knew Conner was bluffing but kept her face straight, not liking that she couldn't see Harvest's eyes, only that wide, creepy smile that reminded her too much of a Nuckelavee Grimm.

Fortunately for the huntress and the hero, Harvest seemed to have bought his bluff. "I've only come to retrieve my son and return the disgraced scientist to Darkseid. I've no interest in squabbling with the Justice League." He turned his gaze towards Weiss, piercing right through her despite his eyes being covered. "Though I do hope Darkseid succeeds in your capture, my girl. I'm sure you would be very useful in my own research."

Conner's fists clenched and Weiss felt her Aura flare up, the anger providing her with more than enough power to create her favorite Summon, one that she had yet to introduce to Earth. "You're deranged if you think I'd ever let myself be taken and even more so if you think Jon is your son."

Harvest cackled, his wide smile more grotesque than ever before. "Your fragile mind wouldn't be able to begin to comprehend my insanity, girl."

The same blood red energy came down from the sky and enveloped the supervillain, his menacing smile burned into Weiss' mind.

"Until next time, Miss Schnee."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 ** _A.N. Boy, I could not have said it better myself._**

 ** _When I first researched Superboy Prime, I also happened upon Harvest and I knew that I couldn't write in one without the other, and I also knew that Harvest has a knack for jumping universes as well, so I just couldn't resist._**

 ** _He's also by far one of the creepiest villains I've ever seen in the DCU despite being completely human. He's from the 31st Century, so it makes sense that the armor that gives him powers could come in that form but why exactly it looks like that is beyond me._**

 ** _And I know that we're introducing more villains than heroes right now, but rest assured, there are some pretty notable heroes on their way and I can definitely say for sure that one of my favorite pairings, Kid Flash and Jinx will be making an appearance pretty soon._**

 ** _I also couldn't help but bring in the Apathy Grimm simply because of how terrifying they are. I don't know if Weiss can canonically Summon them since she technically only set them on fire, but I'm just going to go with the idea that she can because they're probably the most terrifying Grimm since the Nuckelavee. I also imagine the Apathy's Summon Glyph to be kind of like the swirls that they use to hypnotize people with the snowflake in the middle since the Apathy hypnotize people in a way._**

 ** _As always,_** until next time!


	8. A Wrong Turn on the Yellow Brick Road

"It's a shame to see you go. I quite liked spending time with you, Weiss." Martha smiled sadly as she handed Myrtenaster's case to her.

Weiss returned her smiled and gave her a big hug, having become rather close with her in the past few days as well. "Likewise, Martha, but Conner and I can't stay in one place for very long, we wouldn't want to put you and Lois in danger."

Lois rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the couch and crossing one leg over the other. "If Superman were better at his job then you two wouldn't have to be worrying about putting us in danger."

Weiss shook her head. "We need to find a way to get me back to my home world and as much as I love it here, I don't think this is where I'll find the answers I need." A frown made its way onto Weiss' face as she realized that she probably wouldn't ever see Martha and Lois again, or anyone else in this world, for that matter, after she made it back.

"Where are you headed next, then?" Lois asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Metropolis." Conner answered from the hallway, now wearing his usual hero uniform with some new red gloves, most likely a gift from Martha and Lois to reduce any damage to his knuckles when he punches something. "I'm hoping the Justice League can help us find out how to get this one back to her world just in case S.T.A.R. Labs can't find a way."

A grin appeared on Lois' face when Conner mentioned Metropolis. "I guess I'll see you there then. I'm due back at the Daily Planet in a few days. You two should come with me, I can call in a favor and get you first class tickets if you want." She offered despite already knowing Conner's answer.

Conner shook his head. "Too dangerous. Last time I flew in a plane, Control Freak took it over and nearly crashed it."

"Well, then I guess I'll see you there. Are you guys sure you want to leave Herald's horn here?" Lois questioned, looking at the silver instrument that was locked away safely in a case provided by Martha.

Weiss shifted uncomfortably when Herald's horn was brought back to her attention. She may not have known the hero well, but seeing him being brutally murdered in front of her still haunted her.

"It's too dangerous to take it with us. Superman's safe should keep it protected." Conner affirmed, not wanting Weiss to have to lug it around with her, knowing that she still felt guilty about Herald's death.

"We'll come back for it when we find out how to get me back home. I'm sure it'll come in handy one way or another." Weiss explained, remembering that one of the symbols on the Glyph that brought Herald and Warp into Remnant in the first place was Herald's horn.

"I look forward to it." Martha smiled softly. "Now then, I think it's time you and Conner hit the road. Metropolis is a long way from here, even with enhanced speed. You two should get going before it gets dark."

Conner nodded and picked up Weiss abruptly, making her gasp in surprise as he lifted her into his arms with ease.

Before Conner sped off to their next destination, Weiss turned to the pair of women that had clothed and fed her for the past three days. "Thank you, Martha, Lois. It means the world that you were kind enough to take me in for the past few days and teach me more about Earth culture." Weiss smiled softly at them, both having done so much more for her in three days than her father in her entire life.

"Of course, Weiss. We'll always be here if you need anything." Martha didn't want to see them go so soon, but if she had learned anything from being Superman's mother, it was that people like Weiss and Conner were always going to put the needs of others ahead of their own.

"Thanks Martha, thanks Lois. We'll be back before you know it." Conner nodded at them in his own version of a goodbye and took to the skies, zooming off with Weiss in the blink of an eye.

After they left, Martha sighed and sat down on the couch, sad to see the pair go so soon. "I hope that Weiss finds a way to get back to her home world. It must have been so frightening for her to have been suddenly transported here, and even more so having to face people like Jon."

Lois pulled Herald's horn onto her lap, rubbing a fingerprint off the otherwise spotless silver instrument. "Is it wrong of me to hope that she doesn't? I've haven't seen Conner smile that much since Megan went comatose and I think Weiss could be good for him."

Martha laughed lightly, knowing that she had the exact same thoughts the first time that she saw Weiss and Conner interact. "No, it isn't. But she has a family, friends, and maybe even a significant other waiting for her on the other side of the portal. We can't keep her from that."

Lois turned her attention to Herald's horn, noting that it looked and felt exactly like the trumpet that she used to play in high school. "Say, did anyone ever explain to you how Herald's powers worked?" She asked, trying to think back to the article that she wrote on the Teen Titans and all the Honorary Titans.

"I don't think so. Clark can barely keep up with his own clone, much less the rest of the young heroes so he doesn't tell me very much about them." Martha explained, noticing how the horn seemed to glow with a white light, though it may have well been the light of the moon reflecting off it for all she knew.

"I wish I knew. Then maybe someone could use it to help Weiss get back home."

Lois sighed and stood up, grabbing her coat from the coat rack by the door. "I should put it away. I don't like having it out in the open without someone like Weiss or Connor around in case something goes wrong."

Martha nodded and they both set out to the barn and opened the secret bunker underneath it, using their eyes for a secret retina scan hidden behind a bale of hay.

A panel in the floor underneath loose hay opened and revealed a set of stairs that led down to Superman's underground bunker. Lois went down the stairs and set the horn down on a pedestal, grateful that the dimensional instrument was out of her grasp.

She walked up the stairs and sealed the bunker, pushing all thoughts of the instrument out of her mind, intent on spending her last few days on vacation in peace and quiet.

"Out of sight, out of mind."

️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

In the late hours of the night, all was quiet and calm in the Kent house, both Lois and Martha sleeping peacefully, not knowing what was going on in the barn just a few minutes away.

In Superman's bunker, Herald's horn rested, the energy that gave it its power becoming restless. In the darkness of the bunker, the horn gave a soft white glow, white specks so small they were almost invisible to the naked eye dotted its surface.

The two energies worked in harmony, the Light Dust providing the perfect connection to the world beyond the veil. It would be a short connection, but that would be all the horn needed to do what it needed to do.

In the darkness of the safe, the horn glowed, shining with the powers of the Light Dust, sending a wave across the fabric of space-time as sonic waves shot across the room, opening a portal that extended beyond the reach of even the gods themselves.

When the Glyph was formed and the portal opened, it opened to an empty house on a small island. There was complete silence until a yip broke through it.

A black corgi approached the now wavering portal, the familiar scent of mint wafting out of it faintly. A scent that the corgi knew all too well.

Without a second thought, the black corgi jumped through the portal, disrupting the connection between the two dimensions and causing the portal to close, sealing the dog in the foreign world.

Tired from the long day, the corgi walked in a circle and laid down, putting his head on his paws. He would explore the new world tomorrow.

For now, all he wanted was to sleep.

? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ? ﾟﾐﾕ

When Conner first saw Gotham, he was determined to come back when he was a full-fledged hero, knowing that this city was filled to the brim with crime and corruption.

Looking at the city now, however, Conner realized that he had made a terrible mistake in his exhaustion from flying for an entire day straight at hundreds of miles an hour.

 _This was_ _ **not**_ _the shining city of Metropolis._

Weiss had just begun to wake up from her nap when they arrived, opening her eyes to a dreary city with ominous storm clouds looming over it, threatening to unleash a torrential downpour that would only serve to ruin her hair and her dress.

"Uh, Conner? Where are we?" Weiss questioned, cautiously eyeing the beat-up welcome sign that was covered in graffiti.

Conner just sighed and flew into the city, setting down in an empty park so they could both stretch and get some reprieve from the endless flying that they had done.

He sat down on a nearby bench and laid his head back, the exhaustion setting in quick. "We're in Gotham, a city that's not too far from Metropolis." Conner groaned and ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with himself.

Weiss eyed a homeless man who was about one hundred feet away, muttering to himself about bat people and clowns and how his favorite dumpster in downtown had been destroyed. She shivered, remembering the many homeless people in Mantle, most in similar states of mind as this man.

"Do you know anywhere we can stay then? This city…it's unsettling." Weiss hugged herself, not being able to shake the feeling that they were being watched, even though the closest person around was the homeless man.

"Gotham is known for being the most corrupt, crime infested city in the U.S. The supervillains here are psychotic- they don't need powers to kill and they love every second of it." Conner explained, grimacing as he remembered the likes of Joker, Two Face, the Penguin, and Scarecrow.

Weiss took a seat next to Conner and placed her ponytail in her lap, not wanting it to touch the grimy bench. "Who keeps this city safe? You mentioned earlier that all of the major cities have at least one hero protecting it."

Conner gestured to a spotlight that was shining on the dark clouds, a bat emblem emblazoned on it, a beacon for whichever hero it was supposed to call.

"Batman, one of the members of the Justice League, watches over Gotham. Over the years he's made a team to help him out, but when someone's in trouble, they know to shine the Bat Signal if they want to make it out alive."

Something pricked at the back of Weiss' mind and she looked at her surroundings cautiously, so as not to raise suspicion.

When she didn't see anything, Weiss focused her attention on her dress, smoothing out any wrinkles that she saw. "Do you think we can stay with him? I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched."

Conner's muscles tensed, knowing that they were definitely being watched. He could only hope that it was one of the Justice League's allies that were keeping an eye on them and not one of Batman's enemies.

"C'mon," Conner stood up, taking Weiss' hand in his own. "I know a place where we can stay."

Weiss nodded and let her pull him up, grateful that they had some form of physical contact as they walked through the city. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, but Conner's presence helped to soothe her nerves.

As they walked through Gotham's downtown area, Weiss couldn't help but notice people always flickering in and out of her peripheral vision, their hoods drawn up, obscuring their faces as they wove in and out the crowd.

Weiss shivered but looked forward, focusing on Conner's broad back to keep from using Myrtenaster in public. She didn't want to accidentally draw her rapier on a civilian out of paranoia.

As they walked into the metropolitan area of Gotham, complete with skyscrapers that rivalled Atlas' CCT, Weiss began to relax as they were surrounded by people who were walking to and from their daily jobs. The civilians around her gave her weird looks as she walked by, most likely wondering where she was going in her dress and heels with a deadly rapier at her side.

Eventually, Conner took them to an apartment building which wasn't too far from a gigantic skyscraper which read Wayne Enterprises on it in giant, gaudy letters, much like the SDC offices back in Atlas.

 _Whoever the owner of this company is, he clearly enjoys flaunting his wealth._

Conner tapped his thumb on the back of Weiss' hand, bringing her attention back to the apartment complex that they were standing in front of.

Since it was located in the center of the metropolitan area, the apartments looked luxurious and much safer than the neighborhoods that they had been walking through before.

When they walked into the building, instead of stopping at the concierge desk, Conner led Weiss right past it and walked into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor, which happened to be the twelfth floor.

"Who lives here?" Weiss asked as the elevator went up, not wanting to have to impose on anyone else on their journey around America.

Conner smirked and squeezed Weiss' hand reassuringly. "An old friend."

The elevator door opened and Conner led Weiss down the hall, stopping at the last suite before he knocked loudly on the door, displaying little regard for the other people living on the floor.

When they didn't hear any movement from the other side, Conner knocked again, even louder this time. "Wayne! Open up!"

Weiss looked back at the other suites, hoping that no one would come out and get them in trouble for Conner's rudeness. "Quiet down! Maybe he's not home."

Conner scoffed and shook his head, gazing intensely at the door as if he could see through it. "That's what the lazy ass wants everyone to believe. I can see him lying on his couch right now."

Weiss had almost forgotten about his infrared vision until she saw his normally blue eyes glow a warm orange.

Conner was about to bang on the door once more, but before he could, it swung open, revealing a teenage guy about their age with black hair, sky blue eyes, and a tall muscular build, rivalling Conner's own obnoxiously tall height. He was just in his pajamas, which consisted of simple gray sweatpants and a white wife beater which did wonders for his physique.

As soon as he saw Conner, Wayne, apparently, narrowed his eyes and tried to slam the door shut, but before he could, Conner stopped it from closing.

"Always great to see you again, Damian." Conner remarked, a cocky smile on his face as Damian tried to fight against Conner's super strength and close the door.

Damian grit his teeth as he ran out of strength to hold the door and Conner easily pushed him out of the doorway, tugging Weiss into Damian's apartment as if he hadn't just muscled his way into his so-called friend's home. "C'mon in, Weiss. Hey, Wayne, is that lasagna I smell? I'm famished."

After giving Damian a quick once over to make sure that he wasn't injured, Weiss walked up to Conner and grabbed him by the ear, making him yelp in pain as she dragged him over to Damian.

"What's wrong with you?" Weiss put a hand on her hip, dangerously close to Myrtenaster for Conner's liking. "This is Damian's home, you can't just barge in here and eat his food!"

Damian just sighed and stood up, fixing up his pajamas so they didn't look like he had spent the past two days in them. "This happens a lot, actually. And it's either this having my door broken down again so I've learned to put up with it."

Weiss looked over at Conner and saw that he was already sitting at Damian's dinner table, eating directly out of the lasagna dish like a true heathen.

Weiss rolled her eyes at Conner, but then directed her attention back to Damian and held out her hand, not wanting Conner's own impoliteness to reflect poorly on herself. "I'm Weiss Schnee, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Taken aback by her politeness, Damian cautiously shook her hand, wary of any girl who looked as polite and well put together as she did who was also involved with an idiot like Conner. "Damian Wayne."

When she heard his last name, something clicked in Weiss, suddenly remembering the gaudy skyscraper that she had seen earlier. "Wayne. As in Wayne Enterprises?"

Damian nodded, now suddenly remembering the report that Dick had sent him earlier about why the Titan Tower was in shambles. "The very same. My dad owns the company. And you must be Weiss, our visitor from another dimension."

Weiss was taken aback at his acknowledgement, but then she noticed the glass cabinet that was filled with an assortment of weapons, much like the ones that she saw Robin use. It looked like they were just for show, but judging by how sharp they looked, Weiss could tell they were anything but.

Damian assessed her as well, taking note of the odd-looking rapier as well as the rest of her outfit, finding it strange that the Titans had spoken so highly of her fighting ability when her battle gear consisted of a short dress and heels.

"I assume that you're any ally of the Titans, correct?" Weiss walked over to the collection of sharp weapons, Myrtenaster suddenly feeling heavier at her side.

Damian stiffened, not particularly liking the term 'ally' in that context. "I work alone, but I lend a hand every now and then."

Realizing that Conner was about to eat his way through the entire plate of lasagna, Damian turned his attention back to him. "So, what are you two doing here? Gotham isn't exactly the best place to lay low."

Weiss gave a pointed look at Conner, knowing that his carelessness was the exact reason why they were in Gotham.

Conner tore his attention away from the pasta dish in a huff, feeling Weiss' icy glare burning into him. "I wanted to get us to Metropolis, but I was tired and wasn't paying attention when I was flying us here. Speaking of which, can we crash here for the night?"

Damian's eyes narrowed at Conner, irritated that he had dropped in so casually, ate his food, and then asked to stay without notice. Again. "You can't stay anywhere else in Gotham?"

Conner pretended to think. "Gotham and Gotham Girl hate me, Ragman creeps me out, last time I saw Knight and Squire, Knight tried to run me through with his lance, Batgirl hates me, Catwoman hates me- you're basically the only hero in Gotham who doesn't hate me."

Damian scoffed. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." He walked over to Conner and plucked the lasagna dish out of his reach before he could swipe it back. "…But, since you have Weiss here with you, and what with my mother's goons all over the streets of Gotham, I guess you can spend the night to recharge."

While Weiss was happy that he was letting them stay, the comment that he made about his mother concerned her. "Your mother's goons?" She asked, wondering if they were the ones who were watching her and Conner when they first arrived in the city.

Conner's fists clenched and Damian sighed, not wanting to explain his family problems to a complete stranger. "Let's just say that my mom isn't the nicest person in the city. She and my grandfather lead the League of Assassins, an organization that's about as nice as it sounds."

Weiss looked over at Conner, worry in her ice blue eyes at Damian's explanation.

 _It wouldn't be too irrational at this point to consider the idea that this League of Assassins might be working for Darkseid._

Conner shook his head, as if reading Weiss' thoughts. "The League may be psychotic, but there's no way Ra's al Ghul or Talia would work for Darkseid. He's too proud for that. Right, Damian?"

Damian shook his head, running a hand through his hair in consternation. "I don't know. My mom isn't too big on keeping in contact, but I haven't seen or heard anything about her or the League in weeks. Usually they would've dropped someone by now, but they're keeping quiet, just watching."

Weiss remembered the feeling of being watched earlier, causing her to shiver despite herself. "This League… what is it exactly?"

Conner looked over at Damian, knowing that his mother's and his grandfather's choice of occupation was a touchy subject for him.

"The League of Assassins is a group of highly trained people who all have a twisted sense of justice and use their training to assassinate those who they think are a threat to the world." Damian explained, his eyes focused on the weapons in the display case.

"They've been operating for thousands of years and their leader, Damian's good 'ole grandad, is just as old." Conner elaborated, his expression now serious as he remembered the demon and his deadly skill.

Weiss tried not to convey any surprise or worry on her face when they mentioned that Damian was related to a centuries old assassin who had been murdering people when the Gods of Light and Darkness still existed on Remnant.

Apparently, she hadn't concealed her reactions as well as she had thought she had because Damian went on to say, "The fact that my grandpa is thousands of years old is nowhere as crazy as the fact that this one was cloned from an all-powerful alien," He gestured pointedly at Conner, "-or that you fell out of the sky from a dimension that is apparently on the other side of all conceivable thought."

 _'On the other side of all conceivable thought?'_

"What-"

Before Weiss could question him further, Damian added, "I'll call my dad later to see if he knows anything about my mom or the League, but for now, you two need to stay here and out of sight." Damian looked out the window to the Wayne Enterprises building, which was just across the street.

"I need to go to work to oversee some things while my dad's in Metropolis. Don't blow up my apartment again while I'm out." He glared pointedly at Conner.

"It was one time!" He defended, not looking sorry at all for what he had apparently done.

"One time too many. I'm serious, Conner." He warned, walking into his room.

"You blew up his apartment?" Weiss asked incredulously, not at all surprised that Conner had the capability to destroy someone's apartment.

"I was trying out heat vision and things didn't go as well as I had hoped. It's the one power of Superman's that I still haven't gotten and I wanted to see if I could do it." He explained, scratching the back of his neck, making his bicep flex in a way that made it hard for Weiss to focus.

Weiss blinked a few times, focusing her attention back on his eyes which were much easier to look at without losing her train of thought. "And did it work?"

Damian walked back into the living room, now in a sleek black suit, his hair slicked back with a few strands falling onto his forehead, wrestling angrily with his tie.

"Idiot nearly blew his eyes out and went blind for an entire month. He's lucky he has Kryptonian regeneration and Caitlin and Cisco looking out for him, otherwise he would've been blind for the rest of his life."

"And two years later, I still can't do it, so I guess it was for nothing." Conner admitted, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Damian glared at him but said nothing, continuing to try and tie his tie properly, making Weiss shake her head.

"Here, let me."

Conner's smirk was wiped off his face when Weiss walked up to Damian and tied his tie for him, her face too close to Damian's for his liking.

Damian on the other hand went completely still, his eyes trained on the window pane to keep from looking down at Weiss and her beautiful ice blue eyes as they focused on tying a fancy, complicated knot that would be sure to impress all of the big wigs at the company.

Damian was well aware of Weiss' beauty and was even more aware of her snow white hair, her flawless skin, her long legs, and her captivating icy blue eyes that could freeze even Hotspot in his tracks.

He wasn't blind, but there was no way that he was going to get involved with a girl from another dimension when he could barely keep a stable relationship with girls from Earth.

"There, you're all set."

Damian looked down and saw the tiny Huntress look up at him, pride in her eyes as she examined the perfect Eldridge knot. When he caught the slightest scent of mint, Damian stiffened and he stepped back from Weiss, looking away to hide his rising blush.

"Thanks- uh," Damian bumped into his couch as he tried to back away. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, D-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the assassin closed the door abruptly. Weiss tilted her head, confused at his sudden change in demeanor. She turned to Conner for an explanation, but he just shook his head and stormed into what Weiss assumed was the guest room.

When she heard the shower turn on Weiss sighed and sat down on the couch, fixing her skirt and crossing her legs out of habit.

 _Are all boys in this world this confusing?_

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 ** _A.N. Happy belated holidays and New Year!_**

 ** _I'm sorry for the longer wait but with finals finishing up and me wanting to spend more time with my family, I wanted some time to recharge and read some more content since I haven't been doing that lately._**

 ** _As for the story, I kind of altered the Super Sons storyline a little bit since I know that it was Jon Kent who partnered with Damian Wayne instead of Conner, but I liked the dynamic that they had so I decided to add it in anyways._**

 ** _I'm also really excited that they're in Gotham since there are so many iconic villains that are from there, thought we won't be seeing the famous Batman anytime soon since I have plans for him later._**

 ** _As always,_** until next time!


	9. Meeting the Demon Lady

As the sun began to rise, shining golden light over the Kent household, Martha and Lois were awoken not by a rooster, but by the sound of a dog barking. Confused and disoriented from barely waking up, they walked down the stairs and looked in the front yard but were surprised to see that there was nothing there. Even more puzzled than before, Lois took out her phone to check the security cameras that the Justice League had installed around the house and the farm.

"Do you think it's one of the neighbors'?" Lois asked as she checked the cameras that covered the fields and the house's surroundings.

"The closest house is ten miles away; no stray can make it that far in one night." Martha responded, looking over Lois' shoulder as she scanned the footage.

"Well, I'm not seeing anything. Maybe it was just our-"

Lois was cut off by another bark, except this one came from the footage on her phone, not from outside. She scrolled through the different feeds once more until she landed on the one inside Superman's vault.

"Do you think…" Martha started.

Another bark cut through the darkness of the room, confirming Martha and Lois' suspicions.

They immediately left the house and ran towards the barn, Lois quickly using the retina scan to open Superman's safe in the barn, hurrying over to the entrance as it slid open.

As soon as it opened, a black corgi ran out and hurried out of the barn as fast as its short little legs would allow it, desperate to relieve itself after holding it in for so many hours.

Martha and Lois jumped in fright when the corgi ran out, confused as to how it ended up in a vault made of the strongest metal on Earth.

"Do you think it was Herald's horn?" Lois asked, looking down into the darkness of the vault.

Martha looked back at the barn doors, worried that the dog might get away. "I'll go after the corgi, you check the vault. If it was, you should call Superman to get someone to pick it up and take it to a safer place. We can't have it here if it's going to keep on opening portals randomly."

Lois nodded and Martha hurried out of the barn, following the trail of paws that the corgi had left. After Martha left, Lois walked down into the vault and the scene that lay below her confirmed her suspicions.

Herald's horn lay on the ground, dangerously close to another case that read: **Extremely radioactive. Do not remove from container.**

Lois' eyes widened and she picked up the horn quickly, eager to get away from the dangerous things that Clark had locked away in his vault.

After making sure that everything was locked up, Lois walked back to the house to find Martha and the corgi sitting on the porch, waiting for her.

The corgi sat on the porch, looking relaxed as it sat on one of the blankets that Weiss had used when she stayed with them, giving it a sentimental sniff every now and then.

Lois gave Martha a questioning look. "Is that…"

Martha nodded, an amused smile on her face as she looked down at the corgi. "I didn't even have to chase after him. He ran into the house and went into the guest room where Weiss stayed." Martha leaned down and pet the corgi. "He refused to leave until I got him the blanket."

"Him?" Lois asked, sitting on one of the porch steps and reaching across to pet the corgi.

"I checked his collar as well as some other more obvious genetic markers. It says his name is Zwei."

The dog's name struck a chord in the back of Lois' mind. "Zwei...As in Weiss' teammate's dog?"

After the events at the state fair, Weiss had opened up with them more about her life back on Remnant. She talked about her team, the adventures they went on, the power that her family holds…

And she had also mentioned that her team had a mascot of sorts in their studies at Beacon Academy. A black corgi named Zwei.

"It can't be a coincidence, can it?" Martha looked at the horn that was laying in Lois' lap. "That the random corgi that magically appeared in Clark's vault has the exact same name and appearance as the corgi that Weiss mentioned?"

"If that's the case then we need to contact the Justice League. It's not safe to have it in the vault when it can open portals randomly." Lois asserted. "We got lucky this time with Zwei, but what if next time it's one of those monsters that she fights?"

Martha nodded and took out her phone, dialing the number for the direct line to the Justice League headquarters. It was strictly for emergencies and given the circumstances, the Justice League would no doubt be more than happy to take it off their hands.

"Clark, dear, we've run into a bit of a problem."

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 _"I've always wanted bunk beds as a kid…"_

 _"I don't want to hear it. I only want to know the next time that something this big comes up, you come to your teammates. And not some... someone else."_

 _"I know we're not as close, but... I'm here for you too."_

Weiss shifted uncomfortably on the couch, her mind a storm of memories as she slept, her dreams taking her back to her days at Beacon with her team.

 _"You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and after it's all over, you're going to be like, 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool... and I wanna be her friend.'"_

 _"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang."_

 _"And_ _ **that**_ _is why people call you the Ice Queen."_

Weiss shifted again, a frown unconsciously forming on her face as she tossed and turned, the couch that she was sleeping on not providing enough space to contain her fitful state.

With one more turn Weiss fell off the couch and onto the marble flooring of Damian's lavish penthouse suite, falling flat on the cold, unforgiving surface. With a sigh, Weiss wrapped the white fluffy blanket that Damian had let her borrow around herself and got up, hobbling over to the window to admire the Gotham cityscape.

In an attempt to get her mind off her teammates, Weiss looked over the city of Gotham, letting herself be entranced by the lights of the busy city. The beauty of the lights was a welcome change in pace from the previous slums that Weiss and Conner had to walk through earlier.

Among the countless lights that made the city sparkle, Weiss almost didn't notice multiple figures dressed in black moving in and out of her peripheral vision.

It was hard to see them at first because of how quickly they were moving and because they were dressed in all black, but as Weiss' eyes adjusted, she was able to make out multiple figures jumping from building to building. She was able to make out six people, and it looked as if one person was taking on five people.

The people eventually stopped on the building that was directly across the street from Damian's apartment building and had their bout there, continuing their intense fight without pause.

Weiss tried to look closer, but couldn't make out much because of how dark it was, trying to identify who, or what, was fighting.

The only discernible trait that Weiss could make out from the distance was that the woman had bright blonde hair and wore fishnet stockings, fighting off the five figures clad in black ninja suits, each equipped with deadly katanas and other weapons.

The blonde woman was doing remarkably well considering she wasn't using any weapons and seemed to have a style that was similar to Yang's in her sheer power and drive. Contrary to Yang's style, however, the blonde woman was extremely well versed in powerful kicks and strikes, mixing in some gymnastics as well to keep her enemies from predicting her movement.

Weiss was so caught up in watching her fight that she almost didn't notice another figure in black silently watching the fight, as if it was waiting for the blonde woman to defeat the rest of the ninjas.

As Weiss looked closer, she saw that the figure was another woman, though her outfit seemed more… _important_ than the others, consisting of a skin-tight black leather suit with a zipper going down the middle which left very little to the imagination, with only a black belt, silver gloves, and some silver boots as embellishments. Her long black hair swayed in the wind, barely visible as it blended in with the darkness of the night.

At her side was a sheathed katana, and from her stance, Weiss could tell that she didn't plan on keeping it sheathed for long.

Weiss took in a deep breath and folded up the blanket, placing it neatly on the couch as she mentally prepared for what she was about to do next.

While she had no idea what they were fighting for, or if any of them were good, she refused to stand idly by while someone got hurt. The blonde woman was outnumbered, and even then, she was pulling her punches, trying not to go for the kill while the people who were fighting her were doing the exact opposite.

Weiss grabbed Myrtenaster from its place under the couch and opened the window as wide as it would go. She shivered at the sudden cold breeze but readied herself anyways, refusing to let the blonde woman be overtaken by the fighters in black.

Just as the black-haired woman was about to unsheathe her katana, Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver so that it landed on Lightning Dust and created a Time Dilation Glyph underneath herself. With the effects of the Time Dilation Glyph activated, Weiss used another Glyph to launch herself out the window and directly onto the other building.

The woman unsheathed her katana in slow motion and launched herself at the blonde woman, but before she could strike, Weiss intercepted and parried the attack, cancelling the effects of the Glyph as she landed. The black-haired woman's eyes widened in surprise and she jumped back, narrowly dodging another slash from Weiss.

Weiss slashed at her a second time, though the black-haired woman was ready and she countered it with her own strike, causing the two swords to clash in a burst of sparks. They both held their position, their swords crossed as they tried to fight each other off.

"Who are you, girl, and why have you taken it upon yourself to interfere in matters that don't concern you?" The black-haired woman questioned, completely at ease despite Weiss having to use nearly all her strength to keep from being swatted like a fly.

Not being able to hold the woman off anymore, Weiss used a Glyph to force the woman back and to put some distance between them.

"My name is Weiss Schnee, and I interfered because true swordswoman would never attack an unarmed warrior." Weiss admonished, flipping her hair in disgust. "Much less one who's already fighting another opponent."

The woman placed a hand on her hip, her eyes narrowing at the impetuous girl's statement. "And what would you know of being a 'true swordswoman'?"

Weiss spun the revolver and pointed directed Myrtenaster at the woman. "More than you, apparently. Or do villains not adhere to the warrior code?"

The blonde woman raised an eyebrow in amusement at the girl's icy attitude. Not only had she saved her life by intercepting Talia al Ghul of all people, but she then had the nerve to insult her without fear.

And she had done it all in a short dress and high heels.

Talia twirled her sword in her hand before pointing it at Weiss, the golden handle of the blade reminding Weiss of a Deathstalker. "If you knew who you were speaking to, girl, you wouldn't dare be so impetuous."

Weiss pretended to look bored, checking her fingernails which were in desperate need of a manicure after so long. "And who am I talking to?"

The blonde woman, having just finished off the last ninja with a roundhouse kick to the face, walked next to Weiss, an amused smile on her face as she looked at her longtime adversary. "Talia al Ghul, daughter of the demon, long time pain in my ass."

Weiss' turned deathly pale, all blood leaving her face as she came to the realization that this woman was Damian's mother. Talia smirked, thinking that Weiss feared her, but in reality, it was because Weiss was currently staying in her son's apartment, which would make for a very awkward conversation in the morning.

Talia sneered at the blonde woman, her expression going from annoyed to irritated. "Ah, Black Canary." She looked over at Weiss, eyeing her combat skirt and heels in disgust. "Is this… _child_ with you?"

Weiss' grip on Myrtenaster tightened to the point where her knuckles turned white. " _Excuse you_?"

Black Canary placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder, knowing that despite how strong the icy girl seemed, messing with someone like Talia al Ghul was not something that she was prepared to do. "No, she's not, but if you take one step closer you'll have your son and the rest of the Justice League to answer to."

Talia sheathed her sword, her sneer still marring her otherwise pretty face. "So, this is the girl from the dimension beyond the Source Wall. And she's residing with my son, you say?"

Talia gave Weiss another onceover, taking in her silver tiara, snow white hair, flawless pale skin, and short stature. "Hmph. He can do better."

Weiss' face turned red in indignation. "Hey!"

Black Canary held back a laugh. "C'mon, Snowflake, let's get you back home before the she-devil decides to change her mind."

Weiss huffed and nodded, creating a line of Glyphs that went directly to the window that she jumped out of, causing Talia and Black Canary to take an instinctive step back at Weiss' sudden display of her powers.

Before Weiss could head back, however, Black Canary placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Tell Damian and Conner that I'll be paying a visit tomorrow. There's someone who wants to meet you before you leave."

Confused, but desperate to get back to the warm confines of Damian's apartment, Weiss nodded before using the line of Glyphs to jump back in through the window.

When Weiss turned back to look through the window, Talia and Black Canary were already gone, returning the Gotham skyline to its peaceful state, leaving Weiss with a single question:

 _Why were they fighting in the first place?_

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 _ **A.N. Gotham is certainly interesting, isn't it?**_

 _ **Getting to the whole situation with Talia and the Black Canary, I know Weiss has had a lot of luck with villains in the past, but make no mistake, if she went toe-to-toe with martial arts masters like them, she'd have a much harder time.**_

 _ **Black Canary also isn't usually associated with Gotham, but in my research I found out that she's actually been one of the more frequent heroes who aren't from Gotham who protect it whenever Batman's out of town.**_

 _ **As always, if there are any questions or suggestions be sure to let me know! I love any feedback that I can get and Black Canary's addition to the story was actually inspired by a review from hirshja. Thanks so much for the idea!**_

 _ **Hopefully, I'll update within the week as the last make up for the winter break before getting back to regularly scheduled updates every Friday.**_

Until next time!


	10. Color-Coded Family Problems

When Weiss woke up again, it was to a warm sunrise that bathed the city of Gotham in a golden light, amber rays of light filtering in from the windows, making the predominantly white living room glow.

She had awoken an hour before Conner and Damian had set their alarms, meaning that she had exactly an hour to pace around the room nervously and figure out how she was going to explain to them that not only had she gotten in the middle of a fight between a hero and a villain, but that she had fought Damian's mother of all people.

When she heard a door creak open, she immediately sat back down on the couch, focusing on putting her loose hair back in its usual ponytail.

When Weiss turned to see who it was, her face turned pink when she saw Damian walk out of the hallway, clad in only a pair of black sweatpants, revealing his muscular torso, chiseled and scarred from years of martial arts training. On his left thigh there was a red bat emblem, much like the Bat Signal that she saw in the sky.

Damian, half asleep and reminiscent of a living zombie, walked into the kitchen completely unaware of Weiss' presence and proceeded to take out a bowl, a gallon of milk, and a cereal box.

He took one look at the bowl and the milk, and as if deciding that it was too much work to pour the cereal and then the milk in the bowl, Damian reached into the cereal box and started to eat the sugary flakes by the handful.

He continued to do so, taking a swig of milk straight from the gallon at three minute intervals until he decided that he had enough. With a contented sigh, Damian burped rather loudly, much to Weiss' dismay.

Smacking his lips a few times contentedly, Damian finally pried his eyes open wide enough to see the refined huntress sitting on his couch, the blanket he lent her folded to perfection next to her, the morning light streaming in from the window making her silver icicle tiara glint gold.

Damian's face turned bright red in horror as he realized that not only had he just acted like a complete slob in front of Weiss, but that he was half naked to boot.

"Uh, sorry about that...I-uh, didn't see you there." Damian scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.

She gave him a reassuring smile, having had to endure Nora's own disgusting habits before. "It's fine. My friends back home can be pretty gross, too."

"Oh, uh-"

Relieved, Damian was about to respond, but he was cut off by the sound of a door opening from the hallway, followed by heavy footsteps which revealed none other than Conner himself.

He walked into the living room with a scowl on his face, his clothing, or lack thereof, consisting of a pair of electric blue sweat shorts with his emblem in red on the left thigh, matching the red drawstrings he had hanging out. Like Damian, he had chosen to not wear a shirt, revealing his broad, muscular physique that Weiss was all too familiar with.

Conner's jaw clenched at the sight, fighting the urge to chuck a pillow at Damian.

He was already irritated at having to wake up at eight o'clock in the morning, but to find Damian half-naked and five feet away from Weiss made his blood boil for reasons it was too early in the morning to think about.

"Forget something?" He asked dryly, referring to Damian's lack of shirt despite not having one on himself.

In an instant, Damian went from embarrassed teenage boy to crime fighting vigilante, making Weiss stiffen as she felt the sudden change in atmosphere.

Damian smirked, itching for a fight with his long time friend and rival. "Could say the same about you."

Conner walked over and stood in front of Weiss, crossing his arms to make himself look bigger, much to her annoyance. "Trying to impress the pretty girl, are we?"

Damian's eyes glinted mischievously. "You've been following her around for what- two weeks? And you still haven't made any progress. Thought I'd give it a shot."

Weiss' jaw dropped at Damian's sudden cockiness, though luckily Conner was facing away from her so neither of them could see her flabbergasted reaction.

She wasn't too happy with their asinine conversation and Conner's unnecessary jealousy, but she was far too surprised to do anything about it.

Conner's back muscles tensed, but he didn't move, standing like a stone wall between her and Damian. "You-"

Conner was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing, making Weiss sigh in relief as she didn't want to have to break up a fight between two guys who were both more than a foot taller than her.

Weiss stood up and quickly placed herself between Conner and Damian, facing the doorway so she could talk to them at the same time. "Why don't you two go get dressed and I'll answer the door?"

"But-" Conner began to protest.

Weiss picked up Myrtenaster and gave the revolver a good spin. "Go." She pressed, not wanting to deal with the testosterone filled idiots anymore. "Don't forget I can turn you two into hero-cicles if I feel like it."

Thankfully, the idiots relented and trudged back into their rooms, leaving Weiss to answer the door, hoping that it was Black Canary and not some random friend of Damian's.

She hooked Myrtenaster to her side and opened the door, smiling when she saw the Black Canary with a man behind her, presumably the friend that she had spoken about previously.

They both were wearing casual clothing, Black Canary dressed in some black boots, skinny jeans, and a cute black shirt with a white canary design on it.

The man that she was with was with, on the other hand, was rather handsome with short, blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard which he wore well. He appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties and like most heroes, he was muscular. As for his attire, he wore black combat boots, black jeans, a gray t-shirt, and then to top it off, a black leather jacket with a green hoodie underneath.

"Took you long enough, Snowflake." Black Canary smiled warmly, despite her teasing tone.

"Sorry." Weiss smiled apologetically, opening the door wider so that they could come in. "Damian and Conner were being immature, but they should be out pretty soon." She explained as they walked in.

"Snowflake, this is my husband Oliver Queen. Ollie, this is Weiss Schnee." Black Canary introduced. "Oh, and my name's Dinah Laurel Lance, but I go by Laurel." She added, reminding Weiss that she didn't know her actual name.

Oliver extended his hand towards Weiss. "It's a pleasure." He gave her a charming smile, though it seemed practiced, much like Weiss' own smiles whenever she had to be in the presence of one of her father's associates.

Oliver and Laurel both went to sit on the couch and Weiss followed, taking a seat on the big recliner that was across from the couch, a glass coffee table separating the two.

"Laurel tells me you're quite the fighter. That you even stood up to Talia al Ghul of all people?" Oliver asked, getting right down to business.

Weiss laughed nervously and fiddled with her hair, embarrassed by her brashness during yesterday's events. "I admit that I wasn't really thinking last night when I jumped into the fray. Normally, I'm much more composed when I'm fighting."

"I can attest to that."

Weiss turned to see Conner and Damian, both now wearing their usual clothing, walk out from the hallway. Instead of sitting down on the couch like normal people, they both stood on either side of her chair like bodyguards, annoying her to no end.

"Conner, Damian, good to see you." Laurel's blue eyes flickered between Conner and Damian, inwardly rolling them at their protective stance over Weiss.

 _She's the last person who'd need their protection._

"So, what're you doing here?" Damian asked bluntly. "It's rare to see you guys outside of Star City nowadays."

"We have a problem and we need Weiss to help us out." Oliver explained, also speaking bluntly since he knew it was the only way to properly communicate with Damian.

Conner crossed his arms, not liking what he was hearing. "And what kind of problem are we talking about?"

"Let the girl speak for herself." Laurel chided. "After all, we're asking _her_ on a mission, not _you_."

Conner grumbled something unintelligible, but said nothing. Damian didn't look too happy either, but unlike Conner, he kept a stoic face.

"What kind of mission? And what for?" Weiss asked, ignoring Conner's grumbling.

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, knowing that Conner and Damian wouldn't like what he was going to say next. "It's my son. He's joined the League of Assassins and he refuses to go back to his mother."

Damian gripped the back of Weiss' chair tightly, his knuckles going white. "Connor joined the League?"

Weiss looked at Laurel and saw her expression harden, her posture turning stiff. She recognized that look.

 _It's the look that Winter has whenever someone mentions Father._

Laurel cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, trying to shake off the stiffness that had overcome her. "His son, Connor Hawke, already knows all of Oliver's allies. If he sees any of us, he'll leave before we get the chance to talk."

"Is that why you were fighting with Talia yesterday?" Weiss questioned, the dots finally starting to line up together.

Laurel nodded. "I went to ask her if I could see him, but as you saw yesterday, that didn't go so well."

"We know that we're asking a lot of you, but you're the only person who won't scare him off." Oliver explained.

Weiss shifted in her seat, not knowing how to feel about this sudden turn of events.

On one hand, Weiss could see that they were very concerned about Connor's well-being, but on the other hand, she knew all too well what it was like to run away from home.

"Why did he run away?"

Oliver looked down, reluctant to respond.

"The League promised him power, right?" Damian guessed. "Gave him an offer he couldn't refuse and then brainwashed him?"

Oliver nodded, trying not to break his composure in front of the young heroes. "Connor's always been volatile since he was little. Always trying to prove himself because he wanted to live up to my alter ego. Said he wanted to be the next Green Arrow."

"But Oliver didn't know that Connor was his son until just a few years ago." Laurel continued. "By then, Connor had left his mother and could already fight. He wanted Oliver to train him to be his successor."

"And you said no." Weiss gathered, already knowing where the story was headed.

"No one wants to put their kid in danger." Oliver's eyes flickered to Damian. "At least, no decent parent wants to."

Damian just shrugged.

"So, he went to the League of Assassins for training and they gave it to him. He's been doing missions for Talia ever since." Laurel finished, her cold anger subsiding.

Weiss sighed, not wanting to get in the middle of their family drama unless it was absolutely necessary. Judging by their story, she realized that she didn't have much of a choice if the hopeful look in Oliver's eyes was anything to go by.

"I'll do it."

Oliver's face brightened. "Th-"

"But only if you promise to leave Connor alone if he doesn't want to leave the League."

Weiss put on the coldest, most stalwart expression she could muster on her face, not wanting to crumble in the face of two professional heroes who could most likely snap her neck in one move if they wanted to.

"You can't force Connor to come back to you if he truly doesn't want to. I don't know what brainwashing techniques the League has, but if he even went to them in the first place, that means that he wants to learn from them to some degree." Weiss sat up straighter and crossed her legs, resuming the perfect posture that she had learned all those years ago.

Oliver sniffled, but nodded anyways, knowing deep down that Weiss had a point. "Thank you."

Weiss nodded and smiled, happy that she could help these two heroes, despite their complicated family situation. "Of course. Now what exactly am I going to be doing?"

A dangerous twinkle sparkled in Laurel's eye, instantly setting Weiss and Conner on edge.

"How familiar are you with high end galas?"

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"Granny Goodness, come."

In the deepest recesses of the hellish planet known as Apokolips, Darkseid sat on his throne, trying and failing to locate the world from which the anomaly originated from.

The old lady with the malicious smile appeared, kneeling in front of Darkseid's throne. "Yes, milord?"

"What of Bernadeth's latest excursion to Earth?" He questioned, turning his focus to the leader of his guard. "And the human, Deathstroke?"

"Deathstroke continues his search for the human girl. His last report confirmed their arrival in Gotham. Should they stray from their hiding spot, he'll find them." Granny Goodness assured, her usually tidy perm, now featuring some stray strands of hair.

"And Bernadeth?"

Granny hesitated, knowing that Darkseid would not like what she had to report. "She was defeated by the girl and taken into custody by the Justice League. She hasn't reported back since."

She looked up at Darkseid, expecting to see him burst into a fit of rage, only to find a smirk on his face.

"So, the anomaly really can fight. I wonder if there are more like her from her world." He pondered, as if he hadn't just lost one of his strongest warriors.

"I suppose." Granny offered, trying to gauge Darkseid's reactions.

Darkseid continued to imagine the wonders that the anomaly's world contained. What it would be like to extend his reach past the Source Wall that blocked his influence from reaching past the extent of his own universe.

"If I may, milord," Granny Goodness started, "What of Bernadeth?"

His eyes turned red, shining with deadly power in a way that assured Granny Goodness that he did not like her questioning. "She was bested by the human girl and the Kryptonian clone. If she wishes to return, she must do so by herself."

His tone indicated that the discussion was over, prompting Granny Goodness to nod and move onto the next topic of her report.

"Of course, milord." She continued. "Sensors reported another portal opening to the world outside of the Source Wall."

Darkseid raised an eyebrow in interest. "Did anything crossover?"

Granny Goodness made a so-so gesture with her hand. "A dog crossed over."

"A dog?"

"A corgi, to be precise."

"And what of this...corgi? Does it have powers like the girl?" Darkseid questioned, now less interested in the recent turn of events.

Granny Goodness inspected the holographic file in her hands. "...No. As far as the sensors can detect, it has no powers aside from the same protective energy field that surrounds the girl."

"Then the dog is of no interest to me." Darkseid dismissed.

He waved Granny Goodness off, his patience having run thin with the failure of his subordinates. "Leave at once, Granny. The next time you return, I expect it to be with news of success, otherwise I won't be as forgiving of your failures as I am now."

She nodded, the fiendish smile on her face indicative of her plans to ensure that they didn't fail the next time the Furies tried to capture the girl from beyond the Source Wall.

"Of course. I'll see to it that the girl is captured soon. I believe Artemiz has been quite eager to return to Earth."

"And contact Deathstroke as well. If the girl's prior experiences with the Furies are anything to go by, it will take both of them to apprehend her."

Inwardly, Granny cackled with glee. She had always hated Deathstroke for his arrogance, and now she would get the delight of forcing him with her most wily soldier.

 _Oh! What fun it will be to see Deathstroke in such agony._

"The Furies will not fail you, milord."

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 _ **A.N. Things are finally starting to pick up for everyone in the story, and it looks like Weiss is going to have to return to her old life of galas and rich people for her next mission. I really had a hard time deciding whether or not I wanted to do a covert mission where Weiss would miraculously find a combat skirt that is the exact same as the one she wore during season two, but I decided that it would bring a little more to the story if I placed it in a gala instead.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	11. Painful Memories

_**A..N. Friendly reminder that Green Arrow's son's name, Connor Hawke, is spelled with an 'o' not an 'e' like Superboy Conner. I nearly had an aneurysm when I was writing this and the last chapter.**_

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"A gala? Why would Connor be at a gala?" Weiss asked, not entirely comfortable with having to relive her horrifying experience at the SDC fundraiser again.

"The League of Assassins is planning to hit a gala that's fundraising for the construction of a new football stadium for Gotham University. Apparently, the head coach has been charged with multiple allegations of sexual assault, but because the team's been on a winning streak for the past few years, the university swept it under the rug." Laurel explained. "Since Connor is the same age as the football players, they're using him to get into the event so he can assassinate the head coach."

"How will I get into the event?" Weiss questioned as she was neither a teenage boy or a middle aged woman who could pass for faculty.

Oliver smirked. "You'll be the date of the strapping young man of your choosing." He gestured to Conner and Damian, making Weiss' eyes widen and her face turn red.

"Since we already have their information, it'll be easier to pass them off as a player with you as their date." Laurel continued. "But, as soon as you go through the doors, you'll need to split so that Connor doesn't see you together."

Weiss looked down at her combat skirt, which, while pretty, was too casual for an event like a gala, and because she had been dropped into this world so suddenly, she hadn't exactly had time to pack her formal skirt.

"One problem." Weiss brought up. "I don't have a dress."

Laurel's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Don't worry, Snowflake, I've got you covered."

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"So, how does it look?" Laurel asked from outside the changing room.

Weiss looked in the mirror, admiring the snow white silk which was layered delicately, the snowflake designs on the layers creating the illusion of falling snow. The dress cinched around her waist and flowed outwards, the glittering snowflakes that embellished the bodice flowing downwards through the layers.

The dress was sleeveless and not strapless, thankfully, as Weiss wasn't sure how she would fare in a fight if she constantly had to be pulling up or adjusting it.

To finish off the look, she wore the silver snowflake necklace that Lois had given her and some silver snowflake earrings which matched her tiara perfectly. To add some height, she also wore some four-inch white heels, though they weren't visible under the gown's layers.

"Breathtaking." Weiss breathed, enamored with the gorgeous ball gown.

"Well then come out here so we can all see it." Laurel called out, a smile on her face as she had been enjoying her time at the boutique with Weiss.

Conner, and Damian all sat on the bench in the waiting room behind her, their suits already packed and ready to go. Conner and Damian had already had their suits picked and fitted an hour before Laurel finally settled on a dress for Weiss and they reminded her of that fact every ten minutes after an hour passed. Oliver sat next to them, his head leaning against the wall as he snoozed the day away, snoring softly every now and then.

He had fallen asleep half an hour into their waiting and Damian had closed his eyes as well, though he remained wide awake, his senses tuned to his surroundings.

Conner simply slouched back in his seat and yawned periodically, also hyper-aware of his surroundings but making less of an effort to fall asleep.

When Weiss opened the door, however, Conner's eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened, his face going flush as he looked at her.

Laurel gasped and clasped her hands. "Yes. Yes. We're taking it."

Weiss looked over at Conner and saw that his face had gone red and he had a awestruck look in his eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at her.

Laurel laughed lightly and closed Conner's mouth for him. "Pick your jaw off the floor, Conner, you'll catch flies."

His face burned even brighter in frustration and he stood up and walked out of the room mumbling, "Damn….dress...bathroom."

Weiss giggled lightly as he walked out and tried to step forward, but then realized that it was harder than normal to move because she had so much fabric on her. "It's pretty, but I'm not going to be able to do much fighting in this." Weiss admitted, not liking how heavy the dress was.

Laurel smirked and tapped one of the buttons on the back of the dress. "Pull this button out if you need some more mobility."

Weiss felt around the back of the dress and found the button that Laurel was talking about.

She pulled the button and the heaviest part of the dress fell, leaving Weiss in a shorter, much more manageable dress which was like the one she wore for the dance at Beacon.

"Better?" Laurel asked, knowing that Weiss would be much more comfortable in a dress that resembled the one that she usually fought in.

"Much." Weiss admitted as she admired the dress in the mirror.

"I'd say you're just about combat ready." Laurel complimented absentmindedly, fluffing the skirt of the dress a little more.

Weiss couldn't keep the frown from forming on her face, memories of Penny and the Fall of Beacon resurfacing against her will.

The Vytal Festival and the Fall of Beacon haunted her even when she was back on Remnant. Now that she was on Earth, those memories hurt even more.

The idea that an event like the Fall of Beacon could happen while she was stuck on Earth was a very real possibility and she didn't want to imagine a world where she wasn't there to fight alongside her teammates.

"Something wrong?" Laurel asked, her eyebrows creased with worry.

With a newfound determination to get back to Remnant, Weiss sniffled and shook her head. "Not at all. Like you said," Weiss picked up the layers of the dress and reattached them to the dress.

"I'm combat ready."

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"Wipe that smirk off your face." Weiss chided as she and Conner walked into the gala, her arm linked through Conner's as security let them through.

"What smirk? I'm not smirking." He defended, not even bothering to hide his smugness.

She rolled her eyes but smiled as well. "The only reason I chose you was because your suit goes well with my dress." Weiss reminded as they approached the grand double doors that led into the ballroom.

Conner adjusted his tie proudly, secretly glad that he had decided to wear the all black suit over the gaudy red and black one that Damian had chosen. "Sure, Ice Princess, I believe you."

Weiss rolled her eyes and pulled her arm back from Conner's, knowing that they would have to part ways, allowing her to be rid of his smugness for the evening. Even so, shuddered at the thought of enduring the gala by herself.

As they reached the grand marble archways, Conner pulled Weiss aside and looked her directly in the eyes, the intensity of his cobalt blue eyes catching her off guard. "Listen, if you even get a _hint_ that Connor is onto you, get out of there as soon as you can."

Before Weiss could retort that she could defend herself just fine, he gripped her shoulder and pulled her closer. "I know you can defend yourself, but this place is crawling with people from the League of Assassins. If you can't get to your sword fast enough then give me a signal and I'll be there. Okay?"

Her eyes softened and she nodded. "I-yeah, okay."

"Great." He breathed, releasing a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. Conner nodded and he stepped back, giving a rough nod towards a hallway that led to the gardens outside of the museum that the gala was being held in."Redbird is gonna be keeping an eye on things outside in case any League members come as backup, Black Canary and Green Arrow are in disguise, patrolling the ballroom, and I'm gonna head outside with Redbird when we split. You remember where your weapon is, right?"

She nodded, having gone over the plan at least twenty times since they had left the boutique. "Yes, it's with one of the statues in the garden. I lure him out to the garden, talk to him, and if he catches on, keep him occupied until you and Damian come for backup."

Conner nodded and turned on three earpieces and handed two to Weiss. "Be careful."

Weiss nodded and took them, fitting one into her ear and pocketing the other. "You too."

He stole one more glance at her before heading down the hallway and making his way outside, leaving her alone at the entrance of the ballroom.

Weiss took a deep breath, preparing herself for another high society function, hoping that this one would go better than the last one she attended.

She held her head high, fixed her posture and walked in, paying no mind to the curious eyes of the people she walked by.

Across the ballroom floor Weiss saw Connor, casually mingling with a few big guys in expensive, tailored suits standing out amongst the other players who were wearing relatively cheap and ill-fitted suits which were obviously rented out for the occasion.

He was wearing a sleek black suit with a white undershirt and a black tie, blending in perfectly with the rest of the crowd. He wasn't traditionally handsome, but his olive skin, dirty blonde hair, and blue eyes did lend themselves rather well to his appearance.

Weiss had no doubt that the guys he was talking to were also part of the League of Assassins, and judging by their stance around him, she could tell that they weren't going to part ways with him quite so easily.

 _How to get his attention…_

She did another casual glance and saw that Connor was looking in her direction, suddenly making her job a lot easier.

Weiss scoped out an older man who seemed to be of higher authority, maybe one of the museum staff, and walked over to him, her plan already set in motion. Looking closer, Weiss saw a nametag on his suit with the title "Museum Director" written in gold over his name. His hair was pure white and he had blue eyes which practically screamed superiority, old rich white man written all over his face.

"Mr. Kane, hi." She greeted as she walked up to him, purposefully interrupting his conversation with an older woman, discussing the regulation of alcohol for the athletes from what she could hear. "I'm with the Gotham Gazette and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about tonight's event?"

With a sneer that could challenge her father's, Mr. Kane turned up his nose and looked at Weiss with a scathing glare. "Press is downstairs, young lady, and if you had even the slightest shred of intellect you might know that. Now shoo."

Trying with all her might not to use a Glyph to launch him into the ceiling, Weiss smiled politely and nodded. "Of course, Mr. Kane. My apologies."

Mr. Kane continued to ignore her, leaving Weiss to turn on her heel and march towards one of the windows that looked over the museum gardens, trying her best to appear disheartened and forlorn as she looked over the beautiful landscape.

When she heard the tapping of expensive dress shoes coming her way, Weiss smirked internally. Externally, she remained looking frustrated so as not to rouse suspicion from the assassin that was heading her way.

"Dad issues?"

Weiss sighed and turned around to see Connor standing in front of her with two glasses of red wine in his hands and a charming smile on his face. While she hadn't intended for him to think that she was Mr. Kane's daughter, it certainly got the job done, so she wasn't complaining.

"Name's Connor." He introduced. "Mr. Kane giving his lovely daughter a hard time?" His blindingly white smile looked sincere, but Weiss had enough experience with rich boys and people in positions of power to be able to see through false smiles and pretty words.

"No…at least, nothing serious." She took the glass of wine from his hand gratefully, though she knew better than to take a sip. "My dad thinks that I shouldn't be working for the Gazette- that I should take a job in his company instead. He doesn't think I'll be able to handle myself out in the 'real world'."

The disappointed look on Weiss' face was genuine as she recalled the countless times she had begged her father to let her go to Beacon before he finally made her face the Arma Gigas. She knew she would be able to connect with Connor on this level, which would hopefully give her an in.

Connor's eyes hardened for just a second before reverting back to his previous charming persona, meaning that Weiss had hit the nail right on the head.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. My dad can be pretty controlling too, but I actually want to take over the family business. He doesn't think I'm ready." He admitted, his eyes flickering back to Mr. Kane who was talking to more people by the podium.

From what she could discern, it looked like he was about to give a speech. Weiss knew that Connor was going to want to complete his mission pretty soon, so she knew that she would have to divert his attention to get the job done.

"I don't think I'll be able to listen to him brag about his money and influence for another you like to take a walk with me?" She asked, gesturing to the gardens through the window.

Connor smirked, as if he had been the one who had done the fooling in their conversation.

"Of course. We can't have the lady bored at a gala now can we?" He held out his elbow for her to link her arm through.

Pretending to go with his thinly veiled attempt at flirting, Weiss smiled and put her arm through his. "That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

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"Stop pacing, would you? You're gonna wind up causing a tornado or something." Redbird griped, feeling a draft start to pick up behind him as he watched Weiss leave the ballroom with Connor.

Superboy stopped abruptly and stared intently at the corridor that they had just went through, tracking their movement as they went to the gardens which were on the opposite side of the museum that he and Redbird were stationed at. His eyes glowed orange for a second as he used infrared vision to follow them, but had to stop as the heat signatures from the other people in the ballroom obscured them.

"Should we head to the other side of the museum?" Superboy asked, anticipation clear in his voice as his fingers twitched, making him clench his fists to stop and give Redbird less of a reason to tease him. "I don't like not having a visual on them."

Not wanting his annoying friend to have a heart attack from worry, Redbird sighed and nodded, relenting also because he didn't like the idea of leaving Weiss alone with Connor. "Yeah, sure. But be quiet- we can't have your stomping give away our position."

Superboy nodded and they both walked quietly over the rooftop, edging towards a dome which stood like a lighthouse over the museum.

From there, they watched Weiss and Connor stroll through the gardens, Weiss leading Connor ever so subtly towards the knight statue that had her rapier in its grasp, the sword that it was originally holding hidden in the bushes behind them.

"Can you hear anything?" Redbird asked Superboy, hoping his enhanced hearing would be able to help.

"I think they're talking about their childhood, but there's too many hedges- it's blocking the sound." Superboy's eyebrows creased as he tried listen further.

He cursed under his breath when Connor turned suddenly and his eyes flickered upwards towards the roof.

Superboy and Redbird instantly moved back behind the dome, but it was too late- Connor had spotted them.

Connor winked at them and led Weiss further into the gardens and subsequently, away from her weapon.

"Fuck!" Superboy cursed under his breath. "He saw us. Should we go down there?"

Redbird shook his head. "He saw us, but that doesn't mean he knows Weiss is working with us. He could just think that we're keeping an eye on him for Canary and Arrow."

Superboy fought the urge to reduce the dome they were standing behind to rubble. "I hope so."

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"So, what is the family business, exactly?" Weiss asked casually as they walked through the gardens.

He furrowed his eyebrows, not liking being reminded of what he was missing. "It's kind of like a security company. My dad brings people to justice who the normal authorities have trouble catching."

"Like a bounty hunter." Weiss supplied, though she knew that Oliver Queen was much more than that.

Connor nodded. "Sort of. My dad thinks it's too dangerous for me, that I'll get hurt on the job."

"It does sound pretty dangerous." She agreed.

He turned to face her and ran a hand through his hair. "I can fight. And if worse comes to worst, my dad and I can back each other up. We could be partners…"

Connor shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, as if erasing the idea from his mind. "But it's too late for that. I've already joined another group and they actually respect me there. Soon enough, I'll leave my dad in the dust." His fists clenched with conviction, though his eyes told Weiss a completely different story.

From what she could tell, it was obvious that he cared for his father despite their strained relationship and that unlike her, he would regret leaving his family.

"I doesn't have to be like that that." Weiss expressed. "Maybe if you-"

Connor's eyes flickered upwards and he smirked, setting her on edge. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, hoping that he hadn't caught wind of their operation.

Faster than Weiss could process, Connor's face was inches away from her own, a sharp blade pressed into her neck with deadly intent.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me, _Miss Schnee_?"

Weiss froze when he called her by her last name, indicating clearly that not only did he know that she wasn't the museum director's daughter, but he also knew who she was.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you like a fish." He threatened, his jaw clenched and the veins in his neck pronounced, telling her exactly how close he was to doing what he promised.

Weiss took a calming breath and tried to steady her nerves, not wanting to give Connor the upper hand or give him the impression that he scared her.

He was angry and hurt, and for good reason, but she wasn't about to let him hurt her either.

"I wasn't lying about my father."

Connor's grip on the knife loosened.

"I just came here to talk to you. That's all I want to do." She coaxed, placing her hand very lightly on his and pushing it away from her body.

His face was tight and his shoulders were tense, but he sheathed his knife into his sleeve and stepped back.

"The comm in your ear. Get rid of it."

Weiss hesitated for a second, but reached for the tiny device in her ear, pulled it out, and threw it into the bushes. Thankfully, Connor had assumed that she only had one, and was clueless about the spare that she had in her dress.

"There. Now can we talk like civilized people?" Weiss questioned as she walked over to the statue that had Myrtenaster and sat at the bench under it.

She crossed her legs and looked at him expectantly, secretly enjoying how taken aback he was at her casualness.

Instead of taking a seat beside her, he stood directly in front of her and crossed his arms, standing over her in a way that was supposed to remind her who had the power in the situation.

"Talk."

She sighed, but continued nonetheless. "I came to talk you out of working for the League of Assassins."

Connor scoffed. "Why? Because my dad sent you?"

"Because I've only been here a few weeks and I already know how dangerous it can be to associate with them, much less join their ranks." She pressed. "I know what it feels like to want- to need to leave home, but what you're doing isn't leaving. It's running away."

"And what would you know about leaving home? I've seen the way you walk, the way you talk." Connor retorted, his face red from Weiss' comments. "You're no different than the people who the League works to rid the world of."

Weiss' face turned red hot at his accusations, ugly memories of the SDC fundraiser gala rearing their heads in her mind.

"I _left_ that world, you judgemental prick." She retorted, her icy eyes full of fire as she stood up and looked him dead in the eyes. "My own father practically disowned me and took away my right to the company after he figured out that I wouldn't be his little puppet. He admitted on my _birthday_ , of all days, that he only married my mother for the company and the family name and he molded my little brother into his evil little pawn to take my place."

Weiss stepped forward and stabbed a finger into Connor's chest and pushed him back, much to his shock. "So, _yes_ , in my home world I come from an environment filled with _those_ people, but don't you dare compare me to one of them."

She used a Glyph to bring Myrtenaster from its place on the statue and caught it with her left hand, turning it on Connor in a flash. "I left home and made something of myself, something that you'll never accomplish if you join the likes of the League of Assassins. You want to be a hero and save the world? That's admirable, but if you stay with them, you'll be nothing more than a pawn."

For once, Connor seemed speechless. A speck of cold sweat had formed on his brow and his mouth was slightly agape, as if he never been spoken to in such a manner.

"You may be able to fight, but that doesn't excuse running from people who care about you, who _want_ to be with you. Your father may not be perfect, but," Weiss had to fight back the tears as she thought of her own father who was currently rotting away in prison in Atlas for all of his crimes against the Faunus and his workers. "At least he cares about you. Don't take that for granted."

She sniffled and stepped back, lowering Myrtenaster as she did so. "I'm not going to fight you or force you to come with us, but I need you to promise you'll think about it."

"I-I…"

 _ **Boom!**_

Just as Connor was about to respond, a loud explosion came from the inside of the building, followed an intense roar of fire that came up from museum.

Without another thought, Weiss pulled out her spare intercom and put it in her ear. " _Conner_! Are you okay?!"

Silence.

She turned and brandished Myrtenaster at Connor again. "Is this the League's doing?"

He raised his hands in the air and looked back at the site, horror in his eyes as the fire reflected off his eyes. "No! At least...as far as a I was told."

Something pricked in the back of Weiss' head, and right as she turned her head to see what it was, an arrow whizzed by her head and went directly towards Connor's heart.

Fortunately, he wasn't kidding when he said he could fight, and he deflected the arrow with another dagger he had stashed in his sleeve.

"As cruel as the League can be…" A new, toneless voice called out from the shadows of the burning building. "This is not their doing."

"What we have planned is much more fun than the trivialities than the Assassins had planned out." A slightly more feminine voice added from the shadows.

Weiss raised Myrtenaster again, this time in the direction of the new voices. Connor reached into his coat and unstrapped a bow that he had been hiding under his clothing. With the press of a button, the dark green bow extended fully and a drawstring made of light energy formed, a similar arrow being nocked as he pulled back on the string.

"Who's there?"

Low growls reverbated from the shadows and the smoke, three pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness. Metal scraped against concrete as they got closer, and when the smoke cleared, it revealed three cyborg wolves with different bionic parts making up their bodies.

Despite the differences in metal parts, they all featured titanium claws and teeth, perfect for tearing the flesh off their prey in an instant.

A massive girl, as tall or even taller than Lashina, emerged from the smoke after the wolves, her burnt orange tunic, golden circlet, golden boots, and unruly black hair making her look every bit the deranged huntress. In her hand was a golden bow with spikes going down the center, a quiver filled with gold and orange arrows on her back, and a dagger at each side to complete her arsenal.

"Unus, Secondus, Tertius, heel." She called to her hounds, her high-pitched reminding Weiss of Neon Katt. "Right now we have to focus on getting little Snow White over there back to Lord Darkseid. You can have the hunky archer over there for a meal after _I've_ had a round with him." She winked at Connor, making both Weiss and Connor cringe at her abrasive voice and terribly inappropriate flirting.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, twit, I'm sure Darkseid can find use for him, too, and not as your personal chew toy."

A man wearing a black and orange mask walked out of the shadows, his arms crossed and clearly annoyed with his younger partner who seemed much more enthused about their mission than he was. His mask revealed one eye, visible only through thin slits that seemed like they'd be more of a hindrance in battle. To match his mask, he wore black body armor with rows of bullets across his chest and an orange crosshair emblem on his belt buckle.

He had two katanas sheathed on his back and two pistols at his sides, and from his twitching hands, Weiss could tell he was restraining himself from using them on his partner, who most likely was one of Lashina's lackeys.

Connor stiffened when the man in the mask showed himself, but refused to show any fear.

"Oh, come on, Deathstroke, don't be such a killjoy. Not all of us want to spend our time skulking around and fighting teenagers for money." She nocked another arrow and pointed it at Weiss this time. "After we're done with Princess over there you can go back to fighting the Titans as much as you want, though they'll probably your ass just like last time." She snickered.

In the blink of an eye, Deathstroke unsheathed one katana and held it up to her neck. "Another word and by the time I'm done with you, even Darkseid won't be able to put you back together."

The giantess didn't even flinch.

"That's cute." She grabbed Deathstroke's katana with her bare hand and pushed it back to him. "But let's try to focus on the mission." She winked at him and loosed an arrow at Weiss without looking away from Deathstroke.

Caught by surprise, Weiss only barely managed to bring Myrtenaster up in time to block the arrow. If she hadn't been paying attention, she would've gotten an arrow to the heart.

"Well, I suppose if you two are done bickering, then we can get on with this?" Weiss pulled the button from the back of her dress and let the heavy layers fall from her dress, leaving her in the shorter, much more mobile version of the dress. "I'm due back home any day now and I can't if I have to spend a century waiting for your arguing to end."

The giant girl with the pack of wolves smirked. "And who are you to talk to _the_ Artemiz in such a fashion? The greatest huntress in the universe?"

Weiss spun the Myrtenaster's revolver, loaded Hard-Light Dust, and cut an arc through the air, shooting streams of energy which surged downwards and landed at Artemiz's feet.

"My name is Weiss Schnee, not 'princess', or 'Snow White', or any other idiotic names you can come up with. I'm twice the Huntress you'll ever be and I refuse to let you drag that title through the mud."

Artemiz grinned maniacally at her newest prey and nocked another arrow. "Why don't we test your strength then, girlie? Then we can really find out who the greatest huntress in the universe is."

Weiss looked back at the burning museum which was deteriorating rapidly, and couldn't help but think of Conner and Damian, and Laurel and Oliver. She didn't know where they were or if they were safe, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to help if she didn't get these two out of the way first.

Fortunately, she had Connor by her side.

Weiss created Glyphs underneath herself and Connor.

"Let's find out then, shall we?"

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. Boy, college is not making it easy for me.**_

 _ **Sorry for the late update, but I find myself with less and less time to write. I did manage to squeeze out a bigger chapter this time, so I hope it kind of makes up for it.**_

 _ **Truth be told, I rewrote Artemiz's dialogue around five times because I was conflicted on whether or not she should speak like a teenager or more formally like Lashina and Bernadeth. In the comics, she speaks formally, but she's one of the younger Furies, and I liked the idea of her annoying Deathstroke, so I decided to go with the former.**_

 _ **Anyways, be sure to comment with any questions or criticism! I love hearing from readers and getting feedback is paramount in me becoming a better writer.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	12. Pushing Boundaries

"Cyberpak, go fetch."

Weiss' and Connor's eyes widened as the three cyborg wolves rushed at them, their titanium fangs eager to rip into them.

They both jumped out of the way as the wolves came for them and shot at them as they moved out of the way.

As she jumped backwards onto a Glyph, Weiss loaded Hard-Light Dust into Myrtenaster and shot several streams of energy at them, adding onto the bolts that Connor was shooting at them from his perch on top of a statue of an angel.

The wolves were exceptionally quick, and they dodged every bolt that they shot at them, much to the delight of Artemiz.

"Look at my puppies go! Aren't they just the cutest most dangerous puppies in the world?! Yes, they are, yes they are!" She cooed, clearly irritating Deathstroke.

He took out one of his katanas and hit the back of her head with the hilt. "Tell your mutts to stop toying with them. We need them both alive, preferably in the next day or two." He muttered dryly, already fed up with his childish partner.

"Oh, alright." She pouted. "Tertius, Unus, it's laser time! Secondus, pick up the rear."

Weiss stopped and she looked over at Connor, panic evident in her voice and on her face. "Did she just say 'laser time'?"

Connor didn't have time to respond because when they looked down at the dogs again, their bionic eyes changed lenses and started glowing red. They both jumped out of the way as red laser beams came their way.

Tertius focused on Connor and Unus focused on Weiss, red-hot laser beams coming out of their eyes as they burned through the garden and cut through solid concrete walls.

"You got any powers that might be helpful?" Connor asked as they passed each other while dodging the lasers.

Weiss nodded and used a Glyph to jump back into the air, focusing a Time Dilation Glyph into Myrtenaster and then releasing it as a beam of energy which went into the ground that Connor was standing on, creating a Time Dilation Glyph underneath him. "This should help!"

Connor glowed with lime green energy as the effects of the Glyph took over him and slowed down time around him.

With all the deftness of an assassin, Connor jabbed all three wolves in pressure points by their necks and immobilized them. He wanted to go after Artemiz and Deathstroke, but before he could, the effects of the Glyph wore off and time went back to normal.

"Wha-what did you do?!" Artemiz screeched as she saw her pet wolves lying on the ground, each one, twitching slightly as their bionic parts short-circuited after being exposed to the Lightning Dust in the Time Dilation Glyph.

"Put your mutts down for a nap, what does it look like?" Connor smirked, enjoying the enraged and bewildered look on her face.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed as she ran at Connor, shooting golden arrows at him with abandon.

As she shot them, Weiss loaded Wind Dust and created a current of air that reversed the direction of the arrows and shot them back in the direction of Artemiz and Deathstroke.

They managed to block the arrows before they landed, but neither looked too happy at having their attacks turned back on them.

"Restrain yourself, you idiot! Keep the boy occupied, I'll take care of Princess over there." Deathstroke growled, having half a mind to slit the Fury's throat and deal with the two teenagers himself.

Artemiz growled, but nodded anyways, eager to hurt the archer who hurt her puppies. She pulled out a dagger and grinned, the crazy gleam in her eyes making Weiss almost glad she wasn't the one fighting her.

"My pleasure." She cracked her knuckles, her gold daggers gleaming in the light of the fire.

Connor pulled out his own daggers and readied them, a smirk on his face as Artemiz ran at him.

"Looks like it's time to put you down too, crazy."

They both started attacking each other, moving away from Weiss and Deathstroke as their daggers clashed in golden sparks.

Confident that her new ally would be able to handle the alien warrior, Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver and pointed it at Deathstroke.

"That's a lovely rapier, Princess. I hope you won't mind me selling it after I turn you over to Darkseid." He taunted.

"I don't recall giving you permission to call me 'princess'." Weiss tightened her grip on Myrtenaster. "And I'll be dead before you take my sword."

Deathstroke drew his second katana and readied his stance. "Let's find out then, _Princess_."

Weiss narrowed her eyes and rushed at him, their swords meeting in a clash of sparks.

She slashed at him, only for him to block and counter with a slash of his own. Weiss parried the slash and was forced to take a defensive stance, her mind racing as she blocked his quick strikes.

Not wanting to be on the defensive anymore, she used a Glyph to jump backwards into the air and used Wind Dust to create a funnel of wind which blew him off his feet.

"What the-"

Deathstroke was thrown into the air by the wind, allowing Weiss the perfect opportunity to use a Glyph to jump up and land strike across his chest, slamming him down on the ground.

She used another Glyph to launch herself back down to the ground, aiming for another strike at Deathstroke.

Before she could, he recovered from his fall and countered Weiss' strike and forcing her back.

"Not bad, Princess."

He charged at her again and continued his onslaught of attacks, their blades dancing in fluid motions, bright sparks flying as a result of the metals clashing against each other.

Tired of the stalemate, Deathstroke pushed Weiss back with both of his katanas and then kicked her in the side, sending her reeling into a statue of a knight.

She slammed into the statue and hit the ground, but before she could get up, he quickly followed and kicked her up in the air and then punched her in the stomach, sending her flying towards Connor and Artemiz who were still shooting at each other.

Pain surged through Weiss' side and shoulder, her Aura not being able to keep up with the injuries that she was receiving. Her shoulder throbbed in pain as it had taken the brunt of the impact from when she was thrown into the statue, and her stomach ached from the kick that she had received.

She winced as she stood up, not enjoying the fact that her Aura wasn't healing her injuries as well as she wanted it to.

"You okay?" Connor asked, shooting more arrows at Artemiz who had taken cover behind a hedge.

She surveyed her surroundings and saw Deathstroke coming at her again, this time, wielding a pistol in one hand and a katana in the other.

Weiss stood up shakily and loaded Hard-Light Dust, slashing a wide arc through the air and sending a blade of energy towards Deathstroke to keep him back.

"I'll let you know in a minute." She breathed, creating another Glyph to launch herself at Deathstroke again.

He shot at her as she ran towards him, but she just deflected the bullets with Myrtenaster.

Creating a Glyph underneath her, Weiss jumped over Deathstroke and slashed at him from above. He blocked her strike, but she created another Glyph and used it to turn and strike him in the back, sending him sprawling forward.

Deathstroke caught himself and rolled upright, but it was obvious that the attack caught him off guard.

"It seems you're not an incompetent fighter after all. And here I was worried that this would be boring." He remarked, casually twirling his katana, the orange flames from the deteriorating building reflecting off them

"Why did you attack the museum?" Weiss questioned, the flames that consumed the museum burning brighter than before.

"That gala held some of the most corrupt politicians in the city. We did the League a favor." He reasoned as if setting a museum on fire were as simple as that.

Weiss gasped and stepped back subconsciously, not being able to comprehend how someone could rationalize trying to commit a mass murder.

"What about the people working the event? The players? They can't all have been as corrupt as you say." Her voice threatened to crack as she spoke.

Deathstroke shrugged. "There will always be casualties in pursuit of the greater good."

Something in Weiss snapped.

"You _monster_."

She felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let that stop her, her grip on Myrtenaster so tight her knuckles turned white.

Weiss loaded Water Dust and sniffles as the runes glowed a deep blue color, reminding her of Conner's eyes, which only gave her more motivation to do what she was about to do.

When she had first used Dust to Summon, it had ended badly because she didn't know what she wanted. The Light Dust opened the portal to Earth because Weiss didn't give it any direction. It was Herald's horn that acted as a beacon for her power.

With the Water Dust, Weiss was sure of what she wanted to do and she would be damned if she didn't accomplish her goal.

Breathing deeply, she drove Myrtenaster into the ground and created a Summoning Glyph, blue dragon designs swirling around the snowflake in front of her, the different layers spinning rapidly as she poured more and more Aura into her Semblance.

Deathstroke stepped back, the light so bright he could barely look at it.

Artemiz and Connor both stopped and looked at the Glyph in awe as Weiss' Aura started to gather and take the form of ice crystals which swirled around in the air rapidly.

In a bright burst of aquamarine light, an immense white and blue Sea Feilong Grimm flew out of the Glyph and into the sky, aggravating the stormclouds that perpetually loomed over the city.

The dragon roared as it soared over the city, its blue plating shimmering as if it were the ocean.

Weiss took in a deep breath and focused, knowing that she would only have one shot before she ran out of Aura to sustain the dragon.

The Sea Feilong spread its shimmering aquamarine wings before it opened its jaws and shot a powerful stream of water over the museum, dispersing it into a heavy rain that quelled the raging fires in a cloud of steam that left the building a wet skeleton of what it used to be.

With what little energy she had left, Weiss directed her Summon back to the gardens and allowed it to use its power once more.

"Wait, are you going to turn that thing on us?!" Artemiz squealed as they watched the dragon turn on them.

Even Connor looked concerned as the dragon charged up its energy once more. "Uh, Weiss, is this safe?"

She didn't respond and instead focused on not keeling over from the exhaustion and nausea of using so much Aura at once.

Deathstroke watched in amazement as the dragon flew down and tucked in its wings, its massive head bent down to look at Weiss and the others, waiting for the final order from its mistress.

"Now!"

The dragon opened its jaws and prepared to let loose another blast of water.

Just as it was about to shoot at them, a blur sped towards the dragon and from Weiss' peripherals and cut its head clean off, reducing her Summon to ice and mist, the shimmering spray washing over them as it disintegrated.

Weiss felt her heart drop as she watched Deathstroke jump back from the attack, sheathing his second katana after wiping off the residual ice crystals. "That was quite the display, Princess, but I'm afraid I won't be letting you take the easy way out."

Before she could even think about pulling her sword out of the ground, Deathstroke sped towards her and with one powerful swing, sent her flying into a rose bush, Myrtenaster clattering after her as her Aura broke and the ice blue energy that protected her shattered like glass.

"Weiss!" Connor called out, ready to run to her side.

Before he could take a step, Artemiz appeared behind him and kicked him to the ground, digging her heel into his stomach to keep him down. "Not so fast, hot stuff. I'm not through with you just yet."

Weiss groaned in pain as Deathstroke had managed to hit her on the same shoulder that had taken the brunt of her collision with the statue earlier.

He walked up to her slowly, dragging his katana on the ground for dramatic effect. "Interesting...It seems that given enough time and force, that annoying energy field around you wears off." He held his katana to her neck menacingly. "Tell me, Princess, do people from your world bleed?"

Weiss could only glare at him, her gaze icy and fiery at the same time. She had completely depleted her Aura with her last Summon and Deathstroke's last attack had broken her Aura for good, meaning that she was defenseless against whatever he had planned next.

Before Weiss could retort an answer, however, a green arrow sailed straight for Deathstroke's head and a red shuriken for Artemiz's. He swiped them out of the air easily with his katana and she blocked them as well, having to jump away from Connor to do so, giving him the chance to jump back and out of close range from her.

"Weiss bleeding has yet to be seen, but if we have anything to say about, it won't be." Green Arrow called out from his perch on a gazebo that was across the garden, his sleek black suit now in tatters and his black hero mask now on his face.

"And we _do_ have something to say about it." Black Canary called out, walking casually through an arch that led back to the museum, still looking glamorous despite her black halter dress being covered in soot and ash.

Redbird was at her side with a few more shuriken ready for throwing, and judging by the twitch in his hand, it seemed he was eager to.

Weiss looked around for Superboy, but disconcertingly, he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

 _Did he make it out of the fire?_

Artemiz readied her bow and walked closer to Deathstroke, keeping her eyes on Green Arrow at all times. "We're surrounded. What's the plan?"

Deathstroke looked back at Weiss and saw that she was in no better shape than before. "Same as always, grab the girl and leave."

In a blur that almost matched Kid Flash's speed, he rushed at her. Weiss reached for Myrtenaster in a weak attempt to fend him off, but she stopped when she heard a someone roar from behind her.

"Leave her alone!"

Tears of happiness threatened to escape from Weiss' eyes when she saw Superboy's broad build come from the direction of the museum and deliver a blow directly to Deathstroke's gut, sending him reeling across the garden path.

Deathstroke stabbed his katana into the dirt, creating a gash in the ground from the sheer force of Superboy's punch. He laughed wryly, tapping the katana on a bench to shake off the dirt. "Always playing the hero, Superboy. Trying to live up to dear old dad and save the damsel in distress are we?"

He clenched his fists, but ignored him and looked back towards Weiss, his heart beating at a thousand beats per second as he looked at her and assured himself that she was okay.

Her dress was covered in dirt, her ponytail had bits of rose petals and thorns in it, and there was a bruise forming on her shoulder, but the icy look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

 _Beat up, but okay._

"Damsel? I don't see a damsel anywhere." Black Canary pulled out a short metal rod that extended into a full bo staff and leaned on it casually. "All I see is a girl who summoned a fucking dragon and saved the people of Gotham from a citywide fire."

Green Arrow nocked two arrows and aimed them at Artemiz and Deathstroke, his fingers just barely on the drawstring. "You're an archer, Artemiz," He pointed his bow at her. "Tell me, what are the chances that these arrows lodge themselves in your brain?"

Artemiz looked nervously between Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Redbird as they started to close in on them. "Granny Goodness isn't going to be happy…" She sighed as she nocked an arrow with a glowing rope attached to it, giving Deathstroke a sideways glance. "You're on your own now. I'll be sure to tell Granny that it was all your fault!"

Artemiz sniggered as she shot the arrow into the sky and grabbed a hold of the rope, disappearing in a flash of light as the rest of the rope went into space.

Deathstroke growled in frustration and cursed at the sky. "I'll see you in hell, bitch!"

Before anyone could make a move to stop him, he pulled out a black and orange ball and threw it on the ground, disappearing in a vortex of smoke and black energy.

Green Arrow sighed and slung his bow around his back, putting the arrows back in his quiver. "And it looks like we're back to square one on catching Deathstroke."

Black Canary collapsed her bo staff and hooked it to her side, sighing as she crouched down to inspect the residue from the ball that Deathstroke used to escape. "I'm no scientist, but this is definitely Apokoliptan tech. He probably went back to Darkseid with Artemiz."

While Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Redbird continued to inspect the residue and talk about Deathstroke's next appearance, Conner stood awkwardly off to the side, remembering Weiss' words about running away and making amends with his dad.

Weiss saw his internal struggle and tried to get up to go and support him, but hissed in pain when because of the soreness in her stomach and shoulder whenever she tried to move.

Superboy saw her attempts to get up and walked over to her, gently putting an arm under her back and another under her knees, standing up in one smooth motion so as to not suddenly jostle her or cause her any more pain.

"Slow down, Ice Princess." He looked at the situation going on across the garden and smirked. "I heard the verbal beatdown you gave him earlier. I think you talked some sense into him."

"I hope so." She sighed. "Otherwise this all would have been for nothing."

Across the garden, Connor twiddled his thumbs, trying to find a good way to talk to his dad. Weiss' words echoed through his mind, and while he knew leaving the League of Assassins would be hard, it would be worth it if he could train with his dad.

"Hey, dad? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Green Arrow stiffened, and for a second, Connor thought that he might be angry at him for running away, but then he saw his dad's eyes start to water.

"D-did you just call me dad?" His voice nearly cracked as he spoke, making Black Canary smile, knowing how much of a crybaby he was underneath his tough exterior. "Don't think I've ever heard you call me that." He breathed, trying to get his emotions under control.

Connor stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground, focusing on a caterpillar that had fallen asleep on a leaf. "Weiss talked some sense into me. Said something about being grateful for your family and all that crap."

Green Arrow looked over at her and gave her a grateful smile. "How about we talk more about this on a plane back to Star City? If you're gonna be my apprentice then we need to start training."

Disbelief and amazement surged through Connor. "You mean it?"

"Only if you want to." Black Canary assured, remembering their promise to Weiss. "If you want to stay with the League then that's your choice, but if you don't, you're more than welcome to stay with us."

"Of course I wanna go with you guys. I'm gonna be the next Green Arrow!" Connor affirmed excitedly, making Green Arrow chuckle.

"I've still got a few years left before I think about retiring, but maybe."

Weiss smiled and jumped down from Superboy's arms, ignoring the burning pain that shot up through her side when she did so.

Superboy tried to protest at first, but she shut him up simply by lacing her hand through his and tugging him along to the rest of the group. He clenched his jaw and looked away, trying and failing to hide his face which had turned bright pink.

Black Canary raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, finding it amusing that the tiny snowflake could get Superboy to shut up with a single touch.

"I, for one, am glad that this worked out so well." She started, happy that Connor would be able to be with his family. "But what about the museum and everyone in it? Where were you guys when the explosion went off?"

Redbird smirked and pointed to Superboy. "Thanks to Loverboy who was able to see the explosives with his infrared vision, we were able to get the majority out before the bomb went off."

Superboy narrowed his eyes at the nickname but continued anyways. "And as you can see," He gestured to their ruined clothing. "We searched the museum for any stragglers afterwards."

"There were a few casualties unfortunately, but instead of dying from smoke inhalation, we found them with their throats slit." Black Canary sighed.

"We think that the League must've gotten to them before the bomb went off and then escaped." Green Arrow explained.

Connor's face fell and his guilty expression told Green Arrow everything he needed to know.

"It's not your fault, Connor. Clearly, the League was going to get the job done, with or without you." He placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm just glad that you didn't have to go through with it."

"I just-"

Connor was cut off by the sound of a police siren cutting through the air, red and blue lights flashing as the sirens grew louder.

"We can finish this conversation later." Green Arrow pulled out a phone and sent a text message. "Right now, we need to get out of here before the cops see us and start asking questions."

A black SUV sped around the corner and came to a screeching halt next to the gardens, creating black skid marks and filling the air with the scent of burning rubber.

"Superboy, take Weiss back to Redbird's apartment for the night and get some rest. We can talk again in the morning." Black Canary ordered, ushering everyone else into the SUV. "Be safe." She warned before stepping into the SUV herself, the large vehicle disappearing into the night as quickly as it had arrived.

Superboy nodded and picked up Weiss again, making her hiss in pain as he wasn't gentle with her as the first time in his urgency.

He looked at her with concern but she just shook her head and waved it off. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Your main priority is getting us out of here."

"But-" He hesitated.

The police sirens got louder.

"Let's go! At this rate, they'll get to Damien's apartment before we do." Weiss insisted, creating a Glyph underneath him with what little Aura she had managed to regain.

He nodded, and with some help from Weiss' Glyph, they shot into the sky, leaving behind the charred remains of the museum and a fleet of police and firefighters who were just about to start their investigation of the place.

"One more second and we would've been caught." Weiss breathed, looking over Conner's shoulder at the crime scene.

"I'm sure we would've been fine." He assured her, completely at ease despite what had happened that night.

"You and I have very different definitions of the word 'fine'."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. Uh...So if Weiss being able to Summon the Apathy was a 'stretch', I'm going to call her being able to Summon the Sea Feilong a 'leap'.**_

 _ **I know only Blake and Sun have fought it in the show, but I really wanted her to Summon this giant majestic dragon, and then for Deathstroke to kill it with one shot because he's not your run-of-the-mill villain.**_

 _ **I was also considering doing the Leviathan in lieu of the season finale, but I thought the Sea Feilong would look much prettier in Summon color palate than the Leviathan.**_

 _ **One of the other reasons why it took me so long to update was because I was having trouble figuring out how to write Deathstroke and Weiss' fight scene and how it would interact with Connor vs. Artemiz. I think I did okay, but it was definitely one of the harder ones I've done.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	13. Darkness Returns

"That was quite the feat you pulled off yesterday, Snowflake. What was that dragon that you summoned, exactly?" Laurel asked as she and Weiss sipped coffee at a coffee shop in the Gotham City Mall.

After yesterday's strenuous events, Laurel decided to take Weiss out for a girl's day in order to recuperate and they had spent the afternoon in the mall, deciding to cap off their day with a warm cup of coffee.

Laurel was looking worse for wear, having inhaled an unhealthy amount of smoke the day before, but she insisted that the girl's day was something that they both needed, so despite her initial protests, Weiss agreed.

"It's a Sea Feilong Grimm- one of the monsters that comes from my world." She explained, taking a sip of her black coffee. "My Semblance allows me to Summon any Grimm that I've defeated in the past, though they're different than what they usually look like."

"How so?" Laurel asked distractedly, half listening to Weiss and half watching the news in the television that was put up in the corner of the coffee shop.

"When I Summon a Grimm, their colors invert." Weiss explained, Summoning a tiny Boarbatusk and letting it run around on the coffee table, affectionately watching it run into her coffee over and over again. "Normally, Grimm are black, have red eyes and white plating, whereas my Summons are white and have blue eyes. Some Grimm have yellow accents as well, but not very many."

Laurel froze, her eyes fixated on the news channel. She lifted up a shaking hand and pointed at the screen. "Like those?"

Weiss immediately turned around and got out of her seat to look at the screen, her chair screeching against the tile as she stood up.

Her Boarbatusk faded into the air as she took in the scene, the other people in the coffee shop gasping as they noticed what was being relayed by the Gotham News Network.

Images of the Creatures of Grimm, Beowolves, Lancers, Boarbatusks, Creeps, Beringels, and so many more flooded the streets, terrorizing innocent bystanders and bringing destruction wherever they went.

There were police forces already out on the streets, trying in vain to quell the uprising of Grimm with their guns. Some did manage to kill the smaller Grimm such as the Lancers, but they were completely defenseless against the larger Grimm and many groups of officers were swiped out of the way with ease.

" _Viewer discretion is advised, the following scenes are not for the faint of heart._ " The news reporter warned as footage of the destruction played, showing the scene from a helicopter that was most likely circling the city. " _Reports describe black monsters running amok through the streets of Metropolis, attacking any humans who they come across. Citizens in Metropolis are advised by MPD to barricade themselves in their homes until a safe perimeter has been secured._ "

Weiss watched in horror as innocent people were torn apart and picked off by the Grimm, their screams audible even over the gunshots and the explosions.

A mother and her child were being chased by an Alpha Beowolf. An old man was being dragged away by a Beringel. A group of teenagers were surrounded by a horde of Creeps.

Weiss' heart shattered as she watched, each scene becoming more and more gory as they passed. "How could this happen?"

" _Officials say that the outbreak originated from the downtown area, near the Metropolis branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. Citizens residing in the outskirts of Metropolis are advised to leave the city while they still can and to take their most precious belongings with them. There is no news on when or if this outbreak will be stopped. More on this dark turn of events to come._ "

Laurel covered her mouth with her hand, her face deathly pale."Cisco and Caitlin are supposed to be in the Metropolis branch this week."

"Do you think they're okay?" Weiss asked worriedly, the scenes of the destruction of Metropolis replaying over and over in her mind.

Laurel pulled out her phone and called Oliver, tapping her foot nervously as it rang. "They're Metahumans, they can protect themselves. I'm sure they're fine." She said, though more to try and reassure herself than Weiss.

The ringing stopped and Laurel sighed in relief when she heard Oliver's voice.

"Hey babe, you and Weiss done with-"

"Turn on the news. _Now_. I can't explain unless you see it yourself."

"Wait, what's wrong? I-"

"Just do it!" She ordered, her eyes glued to the screen in the coffee shop.

"Okay, okay! I'm doing it right now, but can you explain-" His voice fell as Weiss and Laurel heard the sound of the t.v. turning on and the news relayed another version of what they had already seen.

" _Weiss_! Are you okay?" Conner's voice broke through the silence, surprising her and Laurel. "Are those what I think they are?"

Weiss swallowed, her mouth dry from the coffee and the thought that she might be the reason why so many people were being attacked by the Grimm. "I-I'm fine, and yes, those are the Creatures of Grimm."

"Those monsters from your world?" Oliver asked.

"They are. I can explain more, but I think we should head to Metropolis first. Is everyone in condition to fight? The Grimm look tough but-"

"Sorry, Weiss, but that can't happen." Oliver cut her off, making it clear that there was no room for debate.

"What? But all those people-"

Laurel placed her hand on Weiss' shoulder and squeezed it. "It's not that we don't want to help- we do. But, in this state, we wouldn't be much more than a hindrance." She punctuated her sentence with a coughing fit, reminding Weiss that they had all inhaled more smoke yesterday than what was humanly possible.

"Right now, you and Conner are the only ones still able to fight. Damian's still recovering from the rafters that fell on him yesterday and Connor took a pretty bad beating from Artemiz too."

"We can get you to Metropolis, but after that, we need to head back to Star City to recover. We're only human." Laurel reminded.

Weiss nodded, knowing that they didn't have the benefit of Conner's Kryptonian genes or Weiss' Aura to heal themselves.

"Then let's get going. If anyone has answers, then it's Cisco and Caitlin."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"I hate that we can't help!" Damian growled over the helicopter intercom.

"Me too. Why can't we go with them?!" Connor growled, completely disregarding the bandages around his stomach where Artemiz had stepped on him.

Damian burst into a coughing fit and Laurel flicked Connor on his stomach, making him wince in pain. " _That's_ why you idiots. Damian inhaled enough smoke to put down an elephant and an alien nearly pulverized your intestines just by stepping on you. You're human, and those monsters that're terrorizing Metropolis would tear you to shreds."

"And besides," Oliver spoke from his seat in the cockpit, piloting the helicopter that was taking them to S.T.A.R. Labs. "The rest of the Justice League is in Metropolis anyways. They should be able to handle it in our place."

Connor just crossed his arms impetulantley, wincing again when he pressed on his wounds.

Weiss laughed lightly, enjoying how even in the most serious situations, her friends could make her laugh.

She looked to her side to see Conner staring at the horizon, not at all fazed by Connor's antics. His jaw was tight and his eyebrows creased, scanning the skyline for any immediate threats from his place from his place behind Weiss' seat in the cockpit.

He stood behind her like a guard, having refused to sit down when the helicopter took off so he would be ready to intervene if any trouble came their way.

The helicopter dipped suddenly and Oliver stiffened, his eyes fixed on the city.

"Incoming." Oliver warned bringing her attention back to the skyline.

When she looked through the windshield, she saw a fleet of Sphinx and Griffon Grimm, led by a few Manticore Grimm, heading their way.

A swarm of Lancers also took the skies, but instead of heading towards them, they went to a nearby news chopper which was trying to get footage of the city.

" _Those,_ " Weiss breathed, "Are the Creatures of Grimm. Unlike most Grimm, these work together to take down large groups of people. The Sphinx and the Griffon aren't difficult to deal with, but the Manticores, the larger ones with the red markings on their skulls, can breathe fire. The Lancers have barbs which they can shoot out and hook into aircraft." She explained, readying Myrtenaster to Summon some of her own Grimm to help out.

The Lancers buzzed around the news chopper, trying to sink their hooks into its side. The pilot did her best to try and get away, but they persisted, much to Weiss' horror.

"We've gotta help out that news chopper. The Lancers are gonna tear it to shreds!" Connor yelled from the back.

While the Lancers were attacking the news chopper, the other Grimm were doing their best to knock down Oliver's helicopter, causing it to shake or swerve as he worked to keep them from being shot out of the air.

"I left our attack copter back in Star City, so unless you have an idea, there's not much we can do." Oliver grunted, the helicopter swerving as a fireball from a Manticore swiped their side.

"Open up the back! I can fight them off and keep them away from the news chopper." Conner (Superboy) yelled, already removing his headphones and walking to the back.

"Are you insane? There's too many out there!" Weiss stood up and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his tightly to keep him from walking away. "And if you get near the chopper, you could get caught in the downdraft!"

A smaller Griffon crashed into the helicopter and disintegrated when it hit the rotor blades, causing Weiss to stumble forward into Conner. He just barely caught her, her face pressed against his chest as his free arm wound around her to keep her steady while his other hand still gripped Weiss'.

"I'll be fine." He reassured her, his cobalt eyes filled with steely resolve. "Use your Summons to help from the helicopter in case they get too close. It looks like once we get to S.T.A.R. Labs, we're not going to be able to leave until all the Grimm are cleared out so that means that we have to take everyone with us."

Conner moved to leave but Weiss dug her heels in and tried to pull him back. "No!" She protested, refusing to let go of his hand. "I told you, we're a team. Everyone else is in no condition to enter the city so it's best if you and I get off here and hold off the Grimm long enough so that they and the news chopper can escape."

Laurel smirked at seeing Weiss stand her ground against Conner who was more than a foot taller than her and most likely outweighed her twice over.

"I agree with Snowflake." Laurel interjected, crossing her legs casually as she looked at the Grimm which were fast approaching. "You guys better get off soon, otherwise we're all done for."

Conner's eyes flashed defiantly, not taking his focus off Weiss."No. You're staying here where it's safe."

Oliver groaned loudly and pushed a button to open the backdoor of the helicopter. "Damian, would you do the honors?"

He smirked. "My pleasure."

Damian pushed both Weiss and Conner out of the helicopter, knowing with full certainty that they would be just fine.

"Whoaaaa!"

"Bye, Snowflake! I'll see you later!" Laurel yelled after them, laughing her ass of as the backdoors closed and Oliver turned the helicopter around.

"They'll be okay, right?" Connor asked, craning his neck to try and see where they went.

The helicopter swerved as another Grimm hit the rotors and Oliver released a string of curses that made him almost glad he wasn't around for Connor's childhood.

"Why don't you worry about your own safety?" Damian advised, his knuckles turning white with how hard he was gripping his seat.

Oliver grinned as he pushed the controls forward and sped up the helicopter. "Hold on everyone! This is gonna be a bumpy ride!"

️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

Conner let loose a string of expletives as he and Weiss were pushed out of the helicopter, the downdraft from the rotors pushing down on them relentlessly, basically flinging them downwards.

She created a Glyph and jumped off it before Summoning a Queen Lancer and jumping on its back, only slightly winded from Summoning such a powerful Grimm in a short amount of time.

Superboy's eyes widened as he saw the giant insectoid Grimm, floating next to Weiss cautiously as the Summon's pincers clicked and clacked against each other.

"How do you suggest we fight these things?" He asked, occasionally punching a Lancer or Griffon that got too close to them.

"We need to draw them away from that news chopper." She said, loading Hard-Light Dust and loosing bolts of energy at the Grimm that continued to swarm around the chopper.

Only a few Lancers fell, but the bigger Grimm like the Sphinxes and the Griffons were only aggravated by it.

"Got any ideas? I'm not sure how long the pilot's gonna last. She's done good this long, but eventually, their luck's gonna run out."

Weiss looked at the chopper again and noticed that the Grimm that were swarming it stayed away from its rotors and from underneath the helicopter, most likely to avoid the strong downdraft.

"I have an idea, but it's dangerous."

Conner smirked. "I'm all ears."

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver so it landed on the Wind Dust. "Using the downdraft from the helicopter and my Wind Dust, I can create a vortex to get all of the Grimm in one place."

"And when they're all together, I can take care of them in one shot." Conner finished.

"Exactly, but the vortex is going to be strong. Can you handle that much wind?" Weiss asked, worried that she might accidentally send him plummeting into the harbor.

Conner smirked and started flying towards the chopper. "Don't worry about me! Just focus on creating that vortex!"

Weiss huffed in exasperation and rolled her eyes.

 _Typical._

She swung Mrytenaster in an arc and created a line of green Wind Glyphs which circled the helicopter and all of the Grimm in its vicinity.

With a deep breath, Weiss let her Aura flow through the Glyphs and watched as the winds started swirling around the chopper, drawing the Grimm into a small tornado, crowding them in a screeching flurry of black feathers and white pincers.

Conner floated just outside of the vortex and waited for the right moment. When it looked like they were as cramped as they were going to get, he winked at her before flying back about fifty feet and then zooming towards them, cutting through the cluster of Grimm like a missile.

In a matter of seconds, he reduced the horde of flying Grimm to black dust, the remnants of their existence dissipating into the air.

Weiss sighed in relief as she cut off the Wind Glyphs and directed her Queen Lancer to the news chopper, wanting to make sure that they were okay.

Right as she was about to fly in front of the cockpit to take a look at the pilot, the side of the chopper swung open to reveal a giant camera with a man strapped into a chair, pointing it directly at her with a woman, most likely a news reporter, standing next to him.

Conner flew up next to Weiss and gave the reporter and the camera a friendly wave. "Say hi, Weiss, America's watching."

Her face turned red and her eyes widened when she realized that the chopper belonged to a nationally televised news channel and that they had just revealed Weiss as one of America's newest heroines.

She smiled and waved, her face red with embarrassment.

"C'mon, the rest of Metropolis awaits." Conner reminded, pointing to the city which was still swarming with Grimm.

Weiss nodded and directed her Queen Lancer back at the city. She gave the camera one last wave and flew in the direction of the city, Conner flying by her side, staying close despite how much the Queen Lancer creeped him out.

When they reached the city, the amount of Grimm in the air and on the ground increased nearly tenfold, as if Salem herself were in Metropolis, creating them non-stop in attempts to flood the entire city with them.

 _She couldn't have come to this world, too, could she?_

Weiss felt a shiver go down her spine, memories of the mistress of Grimm resurfacing as they delved deeper into wave after wave of Grimm.

"Something wrong?" Conner asked, his eyebrows knit together, cobalt eyes scanning her features in worry.

She shook her head and stopped the Queen Lancer, seeing another wave of Grimm coming at them from the downtown area.

"Seeing all these Grimm again… In a world where I thought I could feel emotions like fear, anger, and sadness freely…" Weiss sighed and directed the Queen Lancer down to the ground, dispelling the Summon as she did so until she was standing on a sidewalk. "It makes me wonder how they got here, and if their mistress came with them."

She spun the revolver and loaded some Wind and Water Dust as they walked along the sidewalk, preparing for the stampede of Grimm headed at them.

"Their mistress? Uh…" Conner scratched his head, trying to remember her name. "Salem, right? Like the Salem Witch Trials?"

Weiss stopped abruptly. "Wait, what're the-"

A fireball from a Manticore Grimm cut her off before she could ask the question, making her sigh as they had to face yet another onslaught of Grimm headed their way.

Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground, creating an Ice Glyph under her which covered the entire street in a sheet of ice that spread quickly. As the Grimm started to slip and slide on the ice, she poured more Aura into the Glyph and allowed the ice to envelop all of the Grimm, creating many beautiful and lifelike ice sculptures of Grimm along the street.

When she was sure that they were all frozen, Weiss stepped back and took a breather, having used more Aura than she thought she was going to need to freeze all of them.

"Would you like to do the honors?" She breathed, gesturing to the many Grimm-cicles that covered the street.

Conner cracked his knuckles. "Hell yeah."

With a roar, he jumped high into the air and soared back downwards at immense speeds. In a blur of black, blue, and red, he punched the ground, reducing the Grimm to icy fractals which dissolved in the warm air.

Weiss shook her head, a semblance of a smile playing on her face as she saw him walk towards her, his chest puffed out in pride at having demolished all of the Grimm in one punch.

"Proud of yourself?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip and gesturing to the street which now had a giant crater in the center of it. "It really wasn't necessary to destroy the street. I'm sure the people who live here will be happy to see you've reduced their homes to rubble."

Conner scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed smile. "Par for the course for Kryptonians, I guess. Superman's not too great with keeping cities intact either."

Weiss sighed and loaded Earth Dust, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time she would have to clean up after him. With a gentle swish and flick, she created an Earth Glyph over the crater and gathered all of the destroyed concrete together, using her Aura to fill in the gaps and fix the street until it was as good as new.

When it was done, she lowered Myrtenaster and practically collapsed on the bench that was a few feet behind them, her Aura level already getting dangerously low. She hadn't completely healed from yesterday's fight and because she had performed some of the more draining Dust techniques, the strain was setting in quicker than usual.

"You okay?" Conner asked, concern in the undertones of his deep voice.

Weiss nodded and closed her eyes, wishing with all her might that her Aura would hurry up and replenish itself. "Yes, it's just that using Earth Dust tends to take a lot out of me. I'll be fine in a minute."

"Just be careful, okay? I know that you can handle fighting these things better than I can, but if you can't go on-"

"I'm fine." She repeated, standing up and Summoning a Sphinx Grimm to prove her point, ignoring the wave of nausea that came with it. "Now let's go. We need to get downtown before another wave of Grimm comes. Hopefully, the people have been evacuated by now so we don't have to worry about casualties."

"I'll take a listen and see if I can hear anything." Conner closed his eyes and listened in to the downtown area, trying to pinpoint any human voices amid the chaos being caused by the Grimm.

Weiss got on the Sphinx and prepared for flight, ready to move at a moment's notice in case he found anything.

"I don't hear any people, but-" His eyes opened suddenly and he flew up into the air, soaring above the buildings until he was above the Metropolis skyline.

Weiss huffed and directed the Sphinx upwards, the Summon soaring gracefully into the sky until they reached Conner, who was staring off at some building that was too far for her to see with her normal vision. "What is it?"

"The Justice League is here."

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 ** _A.N. I was aiming for updating after one week, but here we are, I guess._**

 ** _I was even considering making the chapter longer since it's more of a filler this week, but after a few days I couldn't think of a way to continue it naturally without ending the chapter, so here we are._**

 ** _I've also considered changing the title of the story. The current one was only supposed to be a working title until I had more chapters completed when I was pre-writing, but then I got impatient and posted the first chapter with the working title instead._**

 ** _The title Ice and Steel has been gnawing in the back of mind for the past couple of weeks, but I'm not too sure._**

 ** _Anyways, I'd love to hear some feedback on my title dilemma or any other aspect of the story._**

 ** _As always,_** until next time!


	14. Reunion

A.N. Thanks to spring break being a thing, I'm able to update on a Monday at a reasonable hour!  
Also, forewarning, there is a lot of exposition and mention of DC lore in this chapter. I try to explain everything the best I can within the context of the story but if anyone's confused, please feel free to let me know so I can clarify accordingly.  
And without further ado, enjoy the chapter!

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _A raven-haired warrior goddess who used her sword to slice through even the strongest Grimm as if they were nothing._

 _A scarlet speedster who ran faster than the speed of light._

 _And a Kryptonian who radiated more power than the very sun in the sky._

Weiss was in awe as they flew towards the downtown area, the center of the city flooded with waves and waves of Grimm that never ceased. They made their way down to a park that was at the heart of the city, cutting and punching their way through the Grimm.

The three superheroes worked in tandem, covering each other in their blind spots and weak points to where they seemed invincible.

"Wow." She breathed, breathless at just the sight of their power.

Conner scanned the area, looking confused as only half of the Justice League seemed to be in Metropolis, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Batman nowhere to be found.

Weiss also noticed that the Justice League seemed to be a few members short, but before she could ask, a red blur that was zipping through the city caught her eye.

"Uh, Conner, is that-"

The scarlet speedster, the Flash, if Weiss recalled from Kid Flash's explanation of his mentor, saw them and zoomed over in a millisecond, appearing in a literal blink of an eye. A familiar burst of wind hit them when he nearly materialized in front of them, his bright red bodysuit and lightning bolt emblem reminding her of where Kid Flash got his inspiration from.

"Conner! And Weiss, is it? I'd love to exchange pleasantries, but," He gestured to the Grimm that were swarming the area. "We don't have time. I take it these creatures are from your world?"

Weiss nodded, shooting a bolt of Hard-Light Dust at a Creep that got too close. "Unfortunately, yes. Have you found any leads on how they're coming here?"

Flash nodded and pointed to a construction zone that was on the other side of the park, the Grimm lurking around the area in suspiciously heavy concentration.

"I took a look around the city earlier and from what I've seen, there's five of them."

"Five of what?" Conner asked.

"I can't explain it; you should see for yourselves."

Flash zipped off and disintegrated all the Grimm in the surrounding area, clearing a path for Weiss and Conner. When they ran over to the construction zone they stopped suddenly when they saw what he was referring to.

In the middle of the lot, a pool of sinister dark red liquid gleamed, its consistency reminding Conner of a mixture between oil and blood. The pool started to bubble as a figure rose, a Beringel emerging from the dark liquid, its skin oily and slick as it tried to leave the pool.

He subconsciously stepped back in horror at seeing the gorilla Grimm's body and bones start to solidify, the liquid rolling off the creature so parts of its red flesh underneath could be seen.

In horror, Weiss loaded Light Dust and plunged Myrtenaster into its chest, causing the Beringel to roar and writhe in pain as light radiated from its body, burning it from the inside out.

The dark liquid sizzled and evaporated as the light rays shined on it, releasing a high pitched squeal- almost as if the liquid itself were alive. She pulled Myrtenaster back, her eyes wide with shock as she tried to comprehend what just happened.

Conner shook off the initial shock from watching what had happened and gripped her shoulder, the action grounding her again before she could get too caught up in what had just happened. "You okay?"

She nodded and looked down at the pool again, trying to calm herself as the bubbling started again.

"Do you know what this is, Weiss?" Flash asked, his voice tentative as he imagined what it must be like in a world where these creatures were considered common.

"I've only ever seen it once before…" She trailed off, remembering what she had seen in Jinn's vision, remembering the realm of the God of Darkness, and the dark liquid that the Grimm had emerged from in his realm. "They're called Pools of Grimm, I think, but looking at these now, they seem different than the ones I saw in my world."

"Is that a good thing?"

The ones from the Dark God's realm seemed much...darker, in a sense. She could only guess why, but all she knew is that these seemed to be watered down versions of the originals.

"I think so…The Grimm that come from these pools- they're weaker than the ones on Remnant. I think that means that these pools are weaker too."

"When the light from your sword hit the pool, it seemed to evaporate. Do you think you could do that again?" Flash suggested.

Weiss looked at her rapier and saw that the Light Dust was glowing brighter than usual.

 _It's reacting to the darkness. If the Pools of Grimm are the remnants of the Dark God's magic, then the Light Dust must be the remnants of the Light God's magic._

Weiss remembered the shining silver glow that the Light God used to disintegrate all of the Grimm when he visited the Dark Domain.

 _Light Dust is Ruby's silver-eye powers in Dust form._

"I'll give it a try."

She loaded Light Dust in Myrtenaster again and watched as the runes on the side of her sword glowed the intensity of the light brighter than ever before.

Weiss drove her rapier into the ground and created a Light Glyph underneath herself and over the dark liquid. She watched as the glowing snowflake pulsed and burned through the liquid, the darkness writhing and squealing as it was evaporated, resisting her Aura with every push.

The liquid diminished and the pool shrunk, but just when it seemed that she might be able to completely eviscerate it, it grew back. Myrtenaster began to glow and get hotter as she poured more and more Aura into it, starting to overheat as she pushed it to its limits.

Conner's eyes widened, able to see the immense power that was surging from Weiss and Myrtenaster with his infrared vision. "Weiss, are you okay?

She grit her teeth as a wave of exhaustion threatened to overtake her, but continued the Glyph anyways. "I'm fine."

Flash raised an eyebrow, noticing that she clearly wasn't fine and that the creepy liquid was actually fighting back against her attempts to get rid of it. "If it gets to be too much, I'm sure we can find-"

"No, I can do it. " She maintained stubbornly.

The idea that the monsters that plagued her world had made it into Conner's was something that she couldn't stomach. If the pools were what were bringing the Grimm onto Earth, then she would be damned if she didn't do something about them.

With a final push, Weiss eviscerated the rest of the liquid, nearly collapsing from the effort that it took. She sighed in relief as she leaned on Myrtenaster, using it to keep from falling flat on her face as she tried to catch her breath.

"See? I told you that I could do it."

Conner shook his head and held out his hand, which she took gratefully, and helped her up, taking notice of how much weight she put on him as she stood up.

"Let's talk to Cisco and Caitlin before you try that again. Maybe they made some progress with the Dust you left them."

Flash nodded and looked at S.T.A.R. Labs, which was about a mile or two away from the park that they were in. "They've had to lock themselves in the lab because those monsters are swarming the place. We don't know why, but it's like they're drawn to it, or something."

Weiss looked around and noticed that while there were many Grimm that were attacking the city, the majority were making their way towards the gigantic laboratory that was situated among the skyscrapers and buildings of Metropolis.

"Superman and Wonder Woman have been holding down the fort for now, but even they aren't going to be able to keep that many monsters at bay for so long." Flash iterated, zipping off once again to disintegrate any Grimm that got too close.

"What about Batman, Aquaman, or Green Lantern?" Conner asked, not being able to see or hear any trace of them in the general vicinity.

"One of the Pools of Grimm is at the bottom of the Metropolis Harbor and it's releasing aquatic Grimm. Last I checked, Aquaman's fighting some Godzilla-looking creature that's reducing the harbor to embers." He explained. "And Batman and Green Lantern are both covering two other Pools, one of which is in the sewers underneath the city, and the other is smack dab in the middle of LexCorp."

"And Shazam and Cyborg?"

"Handling a giant dragon Grimm that flew off in the direction of Washington. It came out of the pool on top of LexCorp, which is probably the biggest out of the five that we've found.

Conner's muscles tensed at the mention of LexCorp and he turned his steely gaze to one of the taller skyscrapers in Metropolis, a giant green L emblazoned on the front.

"Why would it be there?" He asked, turning back to Weiss. "Why are any of them here at all?"

Weiss shook her head, still as clueless as ever. "I have no idea. They're not exactly common in Remnant either."

"Let's go check with Cisco and Caitlin, maybe they might have an idea why the Grimm just suddenly appeared in Metropolis." Flash recommended, looking back in the direction of S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Can you do another Summon, Weiss?" Conner asked, knowing that the safest way to get there would be through the air.

She held out Myrtenaster and focused, trying to gather enough Aura to Summon a Griffon, but after managing to sustain the Glyph for all of two seconds, Weiss sighed and and shook her head, dispelling the Glyph.

"Not yet." She breathed, frustrated with herself and her Aura's lack of durability.

Conner put a hand under her back and another under her knees and picked her up in one smooth motion, making Weiss huff. She hated that it was even possible for there to be multiple races of superhuman people who lacked the ability to get tired while she only had a finite amount of Aura to sustain her and her Semblance.

"We can take a breather at S.T.A.R. Labs. Hopefully, Cisco and Caitlin know more than we do."

️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

"Ooh, look what we have here, some monsters to kill!"

A stray Beowolf turned and bared its teeth at the shrill voice, only to be reduced to dust an instant later, a girl with a mane of bright red hair appearing when the black smoke-like substance cleared.

"Restrain yourself, Knockout. We were only sent here to observe and take samples for Lord Darkseid. We can't have you destroy everything in sight." A woman wearing a black unitard with steel bands around her wrists warned.

Knockout, another giantess from Apokolips, wore nothing but a skin-tight green leotard, a pair of green boots which stopped just below the knee, and a black mask over her eyes to keep her features hidden. For armor, she wore black shoulder pads with steel spikes on them as well as black gloves which were accented by steel bands.

"Lashina, you're just angry that you were defeated by the human girl and my little Boy of Steel." Knockout cooed when she mentioned Superboy, making Lashina want to slit her throat right then and there.

"And you are delusional if you think that Superboy wants anything to do with you." She bit back, using one of her steel ribbons to kill a Lancer that had gotten too close. "He seems preoccupied with the human girl, Weiss Schnee . And even if he wasn't, I doubt he'd even spare you a passing glance after your last encounter."

"Hmph. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Lashina glared at her and shot one of her steel ribbons out until it was a centimeter away from Knockout's neck. Knockout stiffened, but didn't flinch, knowing not to show fear in front of her leader. "You forget quite easily that I am your superior." Lashina trailed the sharp ribbon across her jugular. "I will not tolerate this insubordination anymore. _Are we clear_?"

Knockout placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head, her eyes narrowed in frustration. "Yes, Lashina."

"Excellent." She continued walking in the direction of the skyscraper with the giant L on the front of it. "And besides, if you wait patiently, you might see Superboy sooner than you think."

️ ️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

"Cisco, Caitlin, tell me some good news, please."

The scientists in question looked up from the computer screens they were studying to see Weiss, Conner, and Barry standing in front of them, most likely courtesy of Barry's speed.

Their lab was in chaos, with computer monitors constantly beeping and displaying different readings ranging from air pressure and humidity to radiation and energy circulation. Papers were strewn everywhere and the normal calm of the lab was replaced with a chaotic energy.

Caitlin frowned, taking in Weiss' exhausted appearance and Conner's own torn up clothing. "We do, but first, you need to sit down. You're not likely to save Metropolis looking like a breeze could tip you over."

Cisco grabbed a couch from his office and pulled it over for Weiss and Conner to take a seat, taking a seat at his desk chair after they had sat down. "And now that we're comfortable, we've got some interesting news to share with you."

"Like how the Creatures of Grimm made it into our world?" Conner asked, leaning back and slinging his arm behind Weiss' seat, the casual gesture making Cisco and Caitlin exchange a knowing look.

"And some more information that we got from the Dust that Weiss let us have last time we saw you." Caitlin added, turning their attention to a monitor which displayed color-coded bars which represented each Dust type. "The Light Dust in specific, showed us some interesting things."

"Like what?" Flash asked, his own background in forensics making him more likely to understand their explanation than Conner or even Weiss.

"Well, our last encounter with Darkseid told us that he's looking for the Anti-Life Equation, a mathematical formula which is supposed to have the ability to crush the free will of every sentient being in existence." She continued, making Weiss' eyes widen at the revelation.

"Crush their free will? How can a mathematical formula do that?"

"It's theoretical. _Highly theoretical._ " Cisco assured her. "Darkseid thought it up after learning about the Life Equation that the Martians had theorized."

"Essentially, the Life Equation and the Anti-Life Equation are formulas to prove and disprove that life has meaning." Caitlin elaborated. "You see, the Martians thought that the power of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, specifically the White Light, would be able to compel anyone in the universe into believing that life should be protected and maintained."

Seeing Weiss and Conner's confused expressions at the mention of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, Cisco tapped at a few keys on his laptop and showed them a rainbow of warriors who were all wearing rings with emblems that corresponded to the colors that they were wearing.

"The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum is an energy field similar to the Electromagnetic Spectrum that's powered by the emotions felt by every single sentient being in existence. It's also what powers the Lantern Corps' rings." He explained, clearly referring to the warriors in the photo.

"There are nine colors in total, with the main spectrum being comprised the seven main emotions which are each linked to a color. Red for anger or hate, orange for avarice or greed, yellow for fear, green for willpower, blue for hope, indigo for compassion, and violet for love."

"The other two colors, black and white, are what really interest Darkseid and for that reason, we decided to look into your Light Dust a little more."

 _Like Ruby's silver-eyed powers. Maria spoke about the desire to protect life being what drove the light, not the desire to destroy._

And if her Light Dust was like Ruby's powers…

"White Energy, much like how white light is the combination of all colors of light, is the combination of all of the colors of emotional energy. This energy is said to be so powerful that if it ever comes to be, it would be the manifestation of the Life Equation."

"And Black Energy is the exact opposite, then. Completely devoid of emotion and life itself?" Weiss guessed, the White and Black Energies starting to resemble the Creatures of Grimm and humans more than she was comfortable with.

"Impressive, Ice Queen." Cisco praised.

"Yes, and if my intuition is right, your world and ours may have more in common than we originally thought." Caitlin stated. "Your Light Dust… It's incredibly similar to White Energy, except in a more concentrated form that reacts with your Aura."

"Do you think that's how I was able to come to your world? Because Light Dust and White Energy are so similar?" Weiss realized, looking at the Dust that glowed silver in her sword.

"That's our theory: that somehow, when you used Light Dust to Summon, you ended up connecting with the White Energy that's a part of the Source Wall. You manipulated it just enough to let you pry open a window in our world. Herald's horn must've sensed the energy rift in the Source Wall and then used its power to open the portal completely."

Conner's fist clenched, not liking that all of this science talk was going over his head. "But that doesn't explain why the Grimm are here."

Behind them, the doors to the lab slid open, accompanied by the sound of heels clicking the floor.

"Or why this little guy showed up on the Kent farm."

Weiss heard the sound of a dog barking before seeing a black corgi jump out of Lois' arms and run directly toward her, the dog jumping in her lap and licking her face, happiness radiating off him.

"Lois! How did you get here? And whose dog is that?" Flash questioned, wondering how either of them were able to get through the battlefield that is Metropolis..

"Clark brought me, and as for the dog, I think Weiss should know."'

"No way…" With a shaking hand, Weiss checked the gold, circular dog tag that the corgi had.

"Weiss, do you know this dog?" Conner asked, reaching over to pet the cute corgi.

 _Zwei. If found, please contact Ruby Rose at xxx-xxx-xxxx._

The corgi stared up at Weiss curiously, his head tilted with an ear bent, wondering why the ice girl didn't seem happier to see him after he had traveled such a long way with the lady who smelled like adventure.

"Zwei?" She breathed, not wanting to believe that Ruby and Yang's pet had somehow made its way onto Earth.

The dog yipped in response, nuzzling the large hand belonging to the big human who didn't smell human. He smelled more like sunshine, Zwei decided.

"Weiss, is this dog from your world?" Caitlin asked, noticing that the dog, however cute, did have something….otherworldly about it.

"Yes…" She responded, still somewhat in a daze as she didn't expect that she'd see someone from her world for a long time. "He belongs to the leader of my team, my friend Ruby Rose."

The thought that her teammates might be on Earth as well made Weiss turn back to Lois, her hands clutching the couch cushions in worry. "No one else appeared with Zwei, right?"

"Just him." Lois then grabbed her bag and pulled out Herald's horn, the silver instrument shining brighter than ever. "And I brought the horn, too. Martha and I thought that it might be the reason why Zwei is here, so we thought it would be safer to keep here in case it opened any more portals to Weiss' world."

"It opened the portal by itself?" Cisco questioned.

"I think so. We checked the cameras that Clark keeps in his vault, but I'm guessing there was a power surge or something because they turned off right after the horn started glowing."

Caitlin eyed the horn warily. "May I have that for a second?"

Lois handed it to her and Caitlin put it in the same scanning chamber that she had used to scan Myrtenaster the last time they had met.

"We're going to run some tests on the horn and see if we can find out how it brought Zwei here, but in the meantime, we need to talk about how those dark pools appeared on Earth. These creatures are from your world, right?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes, but I can't imagine how they must've gotten here. We barely know where they come from on Remnant."

"Once again, we're only theorizing since this is way out of our element, but…" Cisco started.

"Just like how your Light Dust is related to White Energy, we think that those dark puddles are related to Black Energy. Do you know anything about them that might support our theory? We wanted to take a sample earlier, but those pools are like acid." Caitlin asked, gesturing to a table filled with ruined equipment.

Weiss thought back to their encounter with Jinn and the story of how Salem came to be mistress of the Grimm, the immortality cursed upon her by the Fountain of Life, and the dark powers given to her by the Pool of Grimm. "The Creatures of Grimm are...the embodiment of anonymity in our world. They were created by the God of Darkness to be the exact opposite of humans in every way, lacking souls and emotion. The pools that they come from are the remnants of the Dark God's power, essentially the embodiment of death in liquid form."

Caitlin and Cisco looked at each other as if thinking the same thought and raced to the computers, typing madly until another diagram was displayed on the monitor, this time showing a bar graph with an entire rainbow of bars shown, each one rising and falling in harmony save for the first and the last, which were white and black respectively.

"The universe lives in a constant state of flux when it comes to the other Emotional Energies. People are constantly feeling different emotions, therefore, the energies are constantly changing. White Energy and Black Energy on the other hand-"

"They're always in equilibrium, otherwise it'll cause chaos and affect the other Emotional Energies, too. Even the tiniest shift can cause a rift." Cisco continued.

He raised the level of the Black Energy bar and the second he did, the rest of the colored bars went crazy, rising and falling erratically. "As you can see, if White and Black become unbalanced, the whole spectrum is thrown into chaos."

Caitlin then raised the White Energy levels to match the Black Energy, and the other colors stabilized as she did so, resuming much calmer states. "My hypothesis is that when you came into this world and introduced your Aura and Light Dust to the Emotional Energy Spectrum, it caused there to an imbalance between White and Black Energy. And in order to balance it out once again-"

"-The Source reached into your world and brought in whatever was closest to Black Energy, which just so happens to be the Pools of Grimm." Cisco finished, making Weiss' head start to hurt from all of the new information that they had just sprung on her.

"Wait, what's the Source?"

Caitlin tapped her finger against the corner of her lips, trying to figure out how to explain a concept like the Source in a concise way.

"The Source, to put it simply, is the literal source of all energy that has existed, exists, and will exist in the universe. The Source Wall, which is the wall that protects the Source, is also what keeps our world separated from yours."

"Let me get this straight," Weiss closed her eyes, trying to process everything that they had just told her. "The Source, an omnipotent primordial force which governs the equilibrium of the multiverse, brought the Pools of Grimm here in order to balance out the White Energy from my Aura and Light Dust?"

Cisco tilted his head and squinted before deciding that her summation was correct. "Yup, that's about the gist of it."

Flash studied the diagram again, looking at the black bar which was slightly lower than the white bar. "Does that mean that as long as Weiss stays in our world, the Grimm'll keep coming back?"

Weiss' eyes widened and she looked at Caitlin and Cisco, waiting for any sign of confirmation from the pair as they were caught off guard by the Flash's question.

Next to her, Conner stiffened, his grip on the couch causing the wood to splinter as he turned his steely eyes onto Barry."What're you implying, Flash?"

Flash didn't budge, acknowledging in the back of his mind that he was probably being too harsh to the kid, but not relenting anyways. "The city of Metropolis is being reduced to rubble-."

Conner stood up, standing at just a few inches taller than Flash, and stared him down. "And what, you think it's her fault?"

"Whoa, whoa, easy there tiger." Caitlin held up her hands, her fingertips start to get frosty as she felt tension in the room rise. "No one is saying anything. And as for the Grimm, Weiss already destroyed one Pool, right?"

She nodded, hugging Zwei tighter to her as the thought of the Grimm being tied to her existence on Earth both scared and angered her.

"Even though Black Energy and White Energy need to be in equilibrium, getting rid of the Grimm Pools won't affect the levels so drastically that it'll send the universe into chaos. The Pools were more like putting a bandage on a wound that was already healing. When souls are born and when they die, White and Black Energy are also released and over time, the levels should stabilize again."

"The Grimm Pools were the fastest solution to an already temporary problem." Cisco reiterated. "We need Weiss to destroy them as fast as possible, otherwise, Metropolis will be looking worse than the when General Zod last paid a visit."

"Weiss, how were you able to destroy the Pool of Grimm?" Caitlin asked. "While it's not likely, we need to be prepared for possibility that more might appear."

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver so it landed on the Light Dust. "Light Dust. I used my Light Dust to burn it away."

"She can't do it again, though. It takes too much energy out of her and she still hasn't recovered from destroying the first one." Conner asserted, knowing that she still hadn't fully recovered.

Weiss set Zwei down and stood up, her grip on her rapier tight as she readied herself to go out into the field again. "I'm fine. I definitely won't be able to destroy them all in one day, but I think I can handle one more."

He shook his head, his stubbornness getting the best of him. "No, you can't-"

Caitlin raised her hand and cut off Conner, knowing his worry for Weiss' well-being definitely had some merit to it and that the huntress might be more tired than she was letting on. "Cisco and I have made some headway with the Dust samples and while they can only be activated by Aura, we've modified a few explosive devices so that they can work with Dust. If you infuse your Light Dust with them, it should be able to cause an explosion large enough to burn through the pools."

Cisco brought out a case of metallic orbs which had black lines running all over them, most likely to hold the energy from the Light Dust. "Just send a jolt of energy into the ball and they'll detonate with whatever Dust you put into them, just be careful though, since you get ten seconds before they go off and we only have five, and we're keeping one just in case, so technically you only have four."

Noticing that Conner still didn't seem too convinced, Caitlin added, "And there's at least one member of the Justice League at each Pool keeping watch. We've called in more reinforcements so the Titans should be here pretty soon, too. It won't be completely safe, but safer ."

"Do you mind taking point, Weiss?" Flash asked, knowing that since she had the most experience with Grimm she would be leading their mission.

Her eyes met Conner's and when he saw the fire in her icy eyes, he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her from waiting another day. He sighed in defeat, making her eyes light up before she nodded, eager clean up the mess that her arrival on Earth had made.

"I'd be honored."

️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

"Ugh, what is this stuff? Why does Lord Darkseid even need us to collect it, anyways?" Knockout whined as they looked over the Pool of Grimm.

"Silence, fool! Batman will only be occupied by those creatures for so long before he comes back to check on it. Do you have the special containment unit?" Lashina bit out, keeping an eye out for the masked crusader.

Knockout reached into her bag and pulled out a glass cube that had a black metal sphere in the center, constantly spinning and swirling in the container as they got closer to the liquid.

"Here it is."

Lashina tore it from her hands and held it over the dark liquid, making sure not to get too close to it, lest she end up like the human man who they threw in earlier to make sure that it was safe to touch.

It wasn't, they had found.

"Granny Goodness anticipated that this liquid might be related to Black Energy and had the scientists create a vessel capable of harvesting it." She explained.

The black sphere in the center of the cube started spinning faster as Lasina held it over the Pool, sensing dark energy and preparing itself accordingly.

When it was ready, the sphere glowed a dark purple, refracting the light through the rest of the cube as it started pulling liquid from the Pool of Grimm into it, the light getting darker and darker until the entire cube had turned black as jet.

With a final click, Lashina stepped away from the Pool and gave the cube to Knockout, who put it back in its bag.

"Let's return to Apokolips. Granny will be delighted to know that the mission was a success."

Just as she was about to put the coordinates in her transportation device, Knockout protested, "But what about my Boy of Steel?"

Lashina shook her head and called the Boom Tube anyways, a beam of light shining down on them the instant she did.

"We will return fool, but not yet. We were ordered to collect samples, and that is all we will do today. _Tomorrow_ , however…" She trailed off, making Knockout smirk.

" _There'll be hell to pay_. "

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. If any of you ever want to fall down a rabbit hole of lore, just go onto the DC Wiki and look up the first superhero or villain that comes to mind. A good portion of my writing process this time was reading about a specific thing, and then clicking on another thing that looked interesting and then reading that and then repeating.**_

 _ **If we're being completely honest, the entire last half of the chapter where I finally explain how Weiss was able to "open" a portal and why the Grimm showed up was written in a 1 a.m. haze where I wrote for about a straight hour or so before actually stepping back to look at what I had done.**_

 _ **It's amazing how much a story can change from how it's originally outlined to what's actually written.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	15. Shadows of the Universe

In the fiery depths of Apokolips, Darkseid sat on his throne, trying and failing for the nth time to gaze into the world beyond the Source Wall.

"Milord?" Granny Goodness' voice cut through his focus, irritating him to no end.

"Lashina and Knockout have returned from their mission and successfully retrieved samples of the death liquid."

She presented him with the black cube, the object now resembling obsidian with the core glowing red, white, black, and yellow.

With the flick of a finger, he levitated the cube towards him and held it in his hand, examining its contents. "Good. It is comforting to know that my elite guard is not completely incompetent."

"If I may, milord, what will you be doing with this mysterious liquid? It reeks deliciously of death." She grinned, watching the liquid move fluidly in and out of the core.

"This liquid will provide me with the anchor I need to reach the world beyond the Source Wall."

Granny wavered, knowing that reaching across the Wall was a feat even gods couldn't accomplish. "Will it be powerful enough to create a portal?"

Darkseid clenched his fist in an attempt to keep from eviscerating his general for doubting him. "No. The Source knows my intentions and is prohibiting me from opening a complete portal without both White and Black Energy at my disposal." He threw the cube into the air and levitated it, more and more energy starting to circulate around it in response to his power. "A simple window into their world through the dormant Black Energy in the wall shall suffice."

Granny was excited to see the world that lay beyond the Source Wall. "Shall I-"

"Leave me. I would like silence for this procedure, Granny. Prepare Lashina and Knockout for return to Earth for the retrieval of Weiss Schnee. The human girl is the only one who obtains White Energy from the other dimension, and the only one who stands in my way of obtaining the Anti-Life Equation." Darkseid growled, the black cube glowing red in response to the rise in negative emotions.

Granny bowed, eager to see what this strange Black Energy would show them. "Of course, Milord, I will prepare the Furies at once."

In a flash, she was gone, leaving the ruler of Apokolips in silence with the black cube floating in front of him, the object swirling with the power of the Grimm.

"Liquid of death…" Darkseid growled, raising the dark energy out of the cube so that the liquid swirled around to form a Grimm mirror. "Show me your master."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"Uh, Weiss, are you sure it's safe to take Zwei? I mean he is just a puppy after all. Wouldn't he be safer with us?" Cisco asked, not understanding why she would willingly bring the adorable dog into the warzone that was Metropolis.

Weiss smiled and pet Zwei, remembering their adventure at Mountain Glenn and how he had destroyed multiple Paladins and helped fight off the Grimm. "Zwei can handle himself, and besides, the Grimm only attack humans. Unless there's another reason like territory disputes, they usually leave animals alone."

He yipped in response, making it known that he was more than ready to take on the Grimm.

Flash chuckled, finding that Zwei was much more intelligent than his appearance let on seeing as how he was seemingly able to understand what they were saying. "That reminds me- Conner, where's Wolf? It's been a while since we've seen him."

Weiss tilted her head. "Wolf?"

Conner winced, knowing that it had been a while since he'd seen his canine partner. "My dog. He's supposed to be staying with Supergirl in National City, but they never liked each other, so there's a good chance he's out in the wild right now."

"Maybe you should call him back, I'm sure he and Zwei would get along swimmingly." Lois suggested, a playful smile on her face as she looked down at the perpetually happy corgi.

"Zwei is a social dog, he'd love having a new friend." Weiss smiled, oblivious to Lois' teasing.

Conner just sighed and shook his head, knowing his dog would eat Zwei first before making friends. "Wolf isn't the nicest dog in the world. Look-"

Zwei yipped and looked at the entrance to the lab, reminding them that they needed to go.

"We should probably head out. It'll be dark soon and the Grimm are never nicer after nightfall." Weiss advised, giving Myrtenaster's revolver a spin until it landed on the Light Dust.

Caitlin and Cisco put the four Dust bombs that they had made on a belt and gave it to Conner. "Here, since Weiss is going to have her hands full and Barry would likely set them off with the electricity generated from his powers, you get to hold the Dust bombs."

"Anything I should be worried about?" He asked, clipping the belt around his waist.

Cisco scratched the back of his head. "Uh...try not to move around so much and if you hear beeping-"

Knowing that he was probably doing more harm than good, Caitlin cut him off and said, "You'll be fine. They only really react to Dust and it would take a pretty big impact to set them off without it."

Flash chuckled. "Let's get going, then. Hopefully, the amount of Grimm outside has lightened up since the last time."

"I've never been so lucky." Weiss remarked dryly. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Where to first?"

"We are going to have the opportunity to go through Metropolis' very own sewer system. Luckily, Green Lantern has been holding down the fort so the concentration of Grimm shouldn't be too bad down there."

Weiss shivered, knowing that subterranean Grimm like the Creeps and maybe even the Apathy would be lurking down there.

"For our sakes, I hope so."

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"This is truly disgusting." Weiss pinched her nose as they climbed down into the sewer system, the walkway barely providing any reprieve from the disgusting waterway.

"We're in a sewer, Ice Princess, what did you expect?" Conner remarked dryly, scrunching his nose as the stench overpowered his enhanced senses.

"Remnant's waterways and sewers are all sanitary- at least, more sanitary than these caves . Right Zwei?" She huffed, stepping over what she hoped was a small piece of wood.

Zwei yipped in response and ran through a puddle, making Weiss almost want to freeze drop of water in their vicinity as it nearly splashed on her.

Conner sighed at the dog's apparent intelligence and turned to Flash, who had been trying and failing to hold back his laughter their entire way down. "How much farther is the Pool?"

"Not much farther. Green Lantern's been keeping the Grimm down, but I'm not sure how long our luck will-"

Flash was cut off by the sound of a Creep growling in the distance, followed by a horde of small Deathstalkers which crawled all over the tunnel walls, creating a sea of white and red shells.

"-hold." Flash sighed and looked at Weiss. "Got any tips for these creepy crawlies?"

Weiss shook her head. "Don't let them overrun you and stay away from the stingers. Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have very much advice."

"Alright then. Let's clean up."

Weiss looked down at Zwei and loaded Fire Dust, the scarlet glow radiating through the tunnel. "Ready, Zwei?"

He yipped before she created a Fire Glyph underneath him and launched him through the tunnel, burning through the Grimm in a ball of happy fire.

Conner and Flash stopped in amazement and watched as Zwei fought the Grimm, his tail wagging and looking as happy as can be for a tiny corgi fighting off deadly creatures of darkness.

"What the…"

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked teasingly. "Can't keep up with a corgi?"

Flash smirked and in a literal flash, zipped around the tunnel and disintegrated the remaining Deathstalkers.

Not to be outdone, Conner ran towards the Creeps and started to bash them in, reducing an entire stampede of them to dust in minutes.

"Alright, let's keep moving before more show up. If I remember correctly, the Pool should be in the next room...aha!"

Flash led them through the tunnel into a much larger room where all of the tunnels and pipes intersected.

In the center of the room, a man wearing a green and black suit and a lantern emblem on his chest flew around, using energy from a green ring to disintegrate the Grimm. He had short black hair, a muscular build that all superheroes seemed to have, and a black hero mask that concealed his eyes to complete the look.

Weiss watched in amazement as he used the green energy to create anything that he willed and reduced the remaining Grimm to ash.

"Weiss, I would like to introduce you to the Green Lantern, Official Space Boy Scout and the Green Lantern Corps' Earth representative." Flash grinned, making the green superhero's face sour.

"And I see that your sense of humor hasn't improved." Green Lantern bit back, floating down towards them.

He held his hand out towards Weiss, which she took politely. "Nice to meet you, Weiss. I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise. I've heard a lot about your powers-"

She was cut off by the sound of an Apathy emerging from the Pool, the zombie-like Grimm rasping as it pulled itself out with its thin limbs. The second it emerged from the Pool, she could feel its oppressive power bearing down on her, sapping at her willpower.

"What is that thing?" Green Lantern cried out as he fell to the floor, green energy sucked out from his ring and into the Apathy, making its white bony structure take on a green hue.

"It's an Apathy, a Grimm that steals willpower."

Flash's eyes widened as he watched the Grimm get closer. "That's what powers his ring!" He moved to speed towards it, but without Aura to act as a buffer, he fell to its power quicker than Weiss had originally anticipated. "I'll take care...of...it..." He groaned as he fell to the ground as well, his eyes going hollow as the willpower was sapped from him.

Before she too could fall under the effects loaded Light Dust immediately and used a Glyph to rush at the Apathy. She stabbed the Grimm and burned it from the inside out with Light Energy, having to use more than usual to fight through the green energy that it had stolen from Green Lantern.

When the Apathy disintegrated, Green Lantern sighed in relief, color returning to his previously ghostly white face. "Thanks for the save."

Flash groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "That wasn't fun."

Conner shivered, remembering the power of those creatures even when they were under Weiss' control. "We can talk later. Right now, we need to work on making sure no more Grimm appear."

He unclipped one of the Dust bombs and held it out to Weiss. "Ready, Ice Princess?"

Green Lantern looked at Flash and raised an eyebrow, but Flash just shook his head.

Weiss loaded Light Dust again, Myrtenaster's runes casting a glow throughout the room. "Just remember to throw it at the proper time. I'm not too sure of the effects of Light Dust on Kryptonians."

She created a ball of light and floated it over to the orb, the light casting a soft glow over the gloomy sewer.

When the Light Dust touched the metal orb, the black lines that circled it lit up and the button on the center of the ball started beeping.

"Let's hope this works."

Right before it detonated, Conner tossed the orb iat the Pool, causing a wave of bright light to surge from it before it could hit the dark liquid, eviscerating the pool in an instant.

"Two down, three to go." Flash grinned.

"That's a relief." Green Lantern breathed. "I'm not sure how much longer I could've gone without recharging the ring."

"We can take it from here, Hal. It should be safe to recharge in the lab." Conner advised, making Green Lantern smile, almost wistfully.

"He's grown up so fast, hasn't he Flash?" He asked, mock tears streaming down his face.

"Soon little Skipper'll be a grownup and go off to college and forget about his family back home." Flash agreed, throwing a sentimental sniff in to really get on Conner's nerves.

"Find a girlfriend, get married, raise a family- dog, white picket fence, and everything." Green Lantern finished, reaching down to pet Zwei, winking at Weiss playfully.

Her face turned bright red at the insinuation, making Conner roll his eyes in irritation, looking away to hide his pink face.

"C'mon, we're burning daylight. We gotta get one more Pool before tomorrow otherwise we're gonna be knee-deep in Grimm by morning."

Flash chuckled, glad to know that there was still a way to embarrass the Boy of Steel.

"You got it, boss."

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"What is our next move, your grace?"

In the bleak castle that overlooked the Dark Realm, the mistress of Grimm herself sat at her table, Dr. Watts and Tyrian standing before her.

"Considering our recent success in the Fall of Atlas, I believe that our next course of action should be-"

Salem froze when she felt a disturbance in the negative energy around her, having not felt such power since she was in the presence of the god of darkness. The Pools of Grimm outside glowed with such a power that she almost thought that the dark god himself was there.

Almost.

"Leave. I will summon you later to discuss Vacuo."

Confused by the sudden change in demeanor, Tyrian and Dr. Watts nodded and bowed before walking out the door.

"Yes, your majesty."

As soon as they had left, one of the Pools of Grimm made its way up the side of her castle, resembling some sort of slug, moving without her permission until it floated in front of her, like a giant mirror.

"Who dares use the Pools of Grimm without my permission?"

The Grimm mirror shimmered until the image of a gray, monstrous man in blue armor with an omega symbol on it appeared, his eyes red with power.

"A prospective ally, your majesty." He greeted formally. "I admire the hellish power and appearance of your creatures. They are doing terrible things to the dimension that I intend on ruling." The gray creature commended, sitting on his own throne, his hellish kingdom visible in the background.

Salem stood up and walked over to the destroyed windows, the Grimm mirror following her so it could overlook the bleak landscape as well.

"The Creatures of Grimm are not my creation, but I am their mistress. My name is Salem." She turned around to look at the Grimm mirror. "Who are you and how have you come to control the Pools of Grimm?"

"My name is Darkseid, your majesty, and I do not control them. I have merely...borrowed their power in an attempt to reach you." He explained, acting polite for the sake of gleaning as much information as he could.

Salem, however, knew pretty words when she heard them. This man, whoever, whatever he was, clearly wanted something.

"And why have you decided to reach me? Someone of your power must have...ambitions they would like to achieve."

Darkseid smirked, knowing that this Salem would provide a much more cunning ally than he had originally anticipated.

"I seek total dominion over my universe and the answer to that lies with a girl that has managed to cross over from your dimension into mine, a welp named Weiss Schnee. Do you know of her?"

Salem narrowed her eyes and recalled the girl with snow white hair who had been missing in the Battle of Atlas, one of Ruby's teammates. "The girl with the power to use my own pets against me. How could I forget?"

Darkseid pressed his fingers together. "I have a proposal for you: if you assist me in my efforts to rule my dimension, I will assist you in whatever you desire. A partnership, if you will."

Salem turned back to look down on the Pools of Grimm, assessing the pros and cons of such a deal in her mind. "And if this partnership were to exist, what assistance would I provide? And what assistance would you provide me?"

"My soldiers have been unable to apprehend the girl- it seems that she is more resilient than I had anticipated."

"And you would like my help." She guessed, knowing that all the members of Team RWBY were annoyingly resistant in their own right. "Given that we are separated by the boundaries of space and time, how do you suggest I provide my assistance should I decide to give it to you?"

"The Pools of Grimm are a link between our worlds. So long as they exist in both our dimensions, you will have a connection to mine."

Salem thought about who would be expendable and skilled enough to send on a mission through the Pools of Grimm. "I have a fallen warrior who I can send to assist you. Preparations should not be long- I simply need to make a few adjustments to make sure that they can survive the trip."

Darkseid leaned back in his throne and smirked. "I look forward to collaborating with you in the future, your majesty."

"And I you. I hope to see the fruits of our partnership very soon. Speaking of which," Just as he was about to cut the connection, Salem continued, "I hope you don't expect any kindness from me without holding up your end of the deal."

Darkseid's eyes glowed red for a second before Salem heard one of her Beringels outside roar loudly.

Curious, she looked down and saw a flying Beringel emerge from the Pools, now twice the original size, covered in blood red armor with an omega symbol on its forehead.

"Consider it a gift."

After he spoke, his image went black and the Grimm mirror solidified from its previous liquid state. It hung itself on the wall behind her throne, the black mirror gleaming with the possibility for power.

With a menacing smile on her face, Salem turned back to the double doors that her followers stood behind.

"Dr. Watts, come."

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"Where to next?" Weiss asked, glad that they were finally out of that disgusting sewer.

Flash pointed in the direction of a skyscraper with a golden planet spinning on top of it, Daily Planet written across it in giant font. "There's a another Pool inside Blaze Comics, a comic book store that's pretty close to the Daily Planet."

"Blaze Comics? Isn't that where the 1000 murdered two writers for information on Booster Gold?" Conner asked, remembering the article that Lois had written on the tragedy.

Flash nodded. "Yeah, the place was shut down afterwards, so now it's a ghost town in there. Perfect place for a Grimm Pool to set up shop."

"Let's head out then. If it's that close to the Daily Planet, Lois'll kill me if she finds out that any of her work got destroyed." Conner breathed, heading in the direction of the news building.

Flash was about to follow them, but then the lightning bolt on his chest flashed, signalling that he was getting a call from someone over the intercom system in his suit. He pressed the button in his earpiece and took the call. "Hello?"

Weiss and Conner stopped when they realized that Flash wasn't following, and turned back to see him with a panicked look on his face.

"Flash, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

All of the blood drained out of his face and a sheen of cold sweat appeared. "Iris is in labor."

"Your wife? She's not in Metropolis, is she?" Weiss hoped, remembering the pictures that Flash had shown her earlier while they were preparing for the mission.

He shook his head. "No, she's back in Central City, but the doctors said that there might be complications because of my powers and-"

"Go." Weiss urged placing a hand on his shoulder. "We know where the other Pools are and the Grimm have lightened up since we first got here."

"Yeah, Barry, we can take it from here. Go make sure your wife and kids are okay."

Flash hesitated, but nodded. "Thanks, if you guys need any help, be sure to give me a call and I'll be back in a flash."

In a burst of electricity, Flash zoomed off, leaving Weiss, Conner and Zwei to their own devices.

Conner sighed. "Even under stress, he makes those stupid puns."

He turned to Weiss and looked at the Daily Planet, realizing that it was much farther than he had realized.

Without warning, he picked up Weiss and Zwei with his super speed, and zipped them over to the front of Blaze Comics.

Startled at the sudden change in scenery, Weiss huffed and jumped down from his arms. "Maybe a little warning next time you decide to super speed us over here?"

"That takes all the fun out of it." He grinned, walking over to the boarded door.

Weiss looked around their general vicinity, surprised that there weren't more Grimm around since there wasn't anyone stationed at this Pool. "At least there aren't that many Grimm around here…"

Just as Conner was about to open the door, Weiss saw movement come from behind the windows.

"Conner, get-"

Before she could finish her sentence, and before he could finish turning the knob, a giant red haired woman broke down the door and sent him flying back into a red sports car. The car crumpled around him as he was forced back from the impact, leaving a Conner-sized dent in it.

"Superboy!" Weiss cried out.

Before she could run after him, a pair of steel ribbons came from the windows and slammed into her back, sending her flying into the street. Myrtenaster clattered after her, landing under the car that Conner had crashed into.

Zwei, ever the kind dog, ran after her rapier and picked it up by the handle, running over and dropping it by her side as she pushed herself up from the concrete.

Weiss picked up Myrtenaster and drove it into the ground, using it to help herself up. "Thanks, Zwei."

"Would you look at that?" A painfully familiar voice called from the entrance of the store. "It seems Dorothy found her Toto after all."

"Dorothy? She looks more like Snow White to me- except without the whole 'fairest of them all' part." The red-haired girl remarked, a smug grin on her face. She turned to look at Conner, who was still gathering his bearings after the attack. "Isn't that right, my pup?"

He groaned and pulled himself off the car. "Knockout, I don't think you're one to talk. There's a reason why the strip club you worked in always kept the lights turned down."

"Excuse me?!"

He rolled his shoulders and walked over to Weiss, helping her stand up completely while Zwei stood in front of them, growling at the two Furies.

"You okay?" He asked her, completely disregarding the angry Fury that was not twenty feet away from them.

She nodded and looked back at the gargantuan Fury, her biceps almost as big as her own head. "An ex of yours, I presume?" She asked, trying and failing to keep the iciness out of her voice.

Conner shrugged. "Not my proudest moment, but yeah. I was young- and stupid. Don't know what I saw in her at the time."

"I'm right here, you jerk!" Knockout exclaimed, making Lashina laugh.

"Ah, the follies of youth." She sighed, extending her steel whips out again. "Unfortunately, your little reunion will have to be cut short. Our Lord Darkseid has ordered us to bring you, little Dorothy, back with us to Apokolips."

Conner's muscles tensed and his fist clenched, ready to pummel the two if they got any closer. "What does Darkseid want with her?"

Lashina smirked. "As I said during our last encounter, I know better than to question my master. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Knockout cracked her knuckles menacingly. "Now, little Snow White, are you going to come willingly, or are you going to make us break every bone in that skinny little body?"

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver. "I'd like to see you try."

Lashina narrowed her eyes. "You may have caught me off guard last time, but I assure you that you won't be quite so fortunate this time."

With incredible speeds, Lashina swung her whips at Weiss in a wide arc.

Realizing she was too low on Aura to use Dust, she used a Glyph to backflip out of the way and then deflected another whip that came her way, narrowly avoiding getting her throat slit.

Thinking that she was a safe distance away, Weiss was proven wrong when Knockout came barreling at her, making her eyes widen as the gigantic alien ate up the distance with her long legs.

Before she could reach her however, Conner used his super speed to catch up and land a kick on Knockout's stomach, sending her reeling. She rolled as she landed and kicked back on the ground to gain momentum as she aimed a punch at Weiss again, completely ignoring him.

Before she could get to Weiss, Conner caught her fist and crushed it in his iron grip. "Where do you think you're going? I'm your opponent, not her."

Knockout winked at him and used her free hand to punch him in the gut, backing him up into a mailbox. "Well, if you wanted my attention you could just say so. A lady never responds well to beating around the bush."

Weiss rolled her eyes, not sure if 'lady' would be the right word to classify the Fury.

Another whip came her way from her peripherals, barely giving her enough time to block it with Myrtenaster, the steel ribbon wrapping around the rapier multiple times.

"Jealousy is unbecoming of such a refined lady." Lashina taunted, using her whips to try and pull Myrtenaster out of Weiss' hands.

Weiss loaded Lightning Dust and released a strong electric charge, electrocuting the Fury and making cry out in pain, releasing her hold on the rapier. "And what would you know about being a lady?"

"Impudent child." Lashina cursed as she shook off the remnants of the electric shock. "Why do you continue resist? In the end, Lord Darkseid will have whatever he desires. It will be easier in the long run if you just accept your fate."

Before Weiss could retort an answer, a wave of pink energy came from behind her and slammed into Lashina, sending her back into the comic book store.

"' Accept your fate' . Hmph. What's the fun in that?"

Weiss turned in surprise to see Jinx standing behind her, her hands still glowing with the aftereffects of her magic.

Knockout, who had been brawling with Conner, was blown back by a yellow and red blur, sending her back into the comic store as well.

Kid Flash zipped next to Jinx and placed an arm around her, his usual cocky grin on his face as the two Furies pulled themselves up from the wreckage. "You'd think that after being beat so many times, they'd've learned a thing or two about 'fate'."

Lashina staggered out of the wreckage and cursed, brushing sawdust off her costume with her whips. "It seems that we'll have to call for assistance." She whistled loudly. " Parademons! Dispose of these pests!"

In a flash of sickly green light, hordes of Parademons rained down on the streets.

Kid Flash grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Now that we cleared out all the Grimm, this'll be a piece of-"

Before he could finish his sentence, what was left of Blaze Comics' front door was demolished, a giant Nuckelavee ramming through it, using its long arms to smack him and Jinx away into the street.

Jinx cursed under her breath and snapped her fingers, causing the rafters that the Nuckelavee was standing on to give way in a flash of pink light, making the horse part of the Grimm neigh loudly as it was immobilized under the rubble.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?"

Kid Flash super-sped himself up and then helped up Jinx, looking around at all of the Parademons that surrounded them and the angry Grimm that got stuck in a pile of rubble. "How was I supposed to know that that thing would show up?"

"We'll be taking our leave now. After the Parademons and the Grimm have done their job, we'll return to collect you, Schnee." Lashina stated, using her whips to swing herself up to the top of the building while Knockout simply jumped.

Weiss' eyebrows furrowed, wondering how Lashina could possibly know what they Grimm were called, or why the Nuckelavee wasn't attacking either of the Furies.

"How do you know what the Grimm are? And why wasn't the Nuckelavee going after you?"

A swarm of Parademons got dangerously close to Weiss while she was questioning them, but fortunately, Conner, Jinx, and Kid Flash reduced them to dust, the disgusting creatures proving no match for their combined powers.

Knockout smirked and flipped her hair nonchalantly. "Let's just say our boss has made some new friends in high places. These little cuties aren't the only things we have up our sleeves."

Weiss' heart dropped, the thought of Darkseid somehow coming in contact with her world sending a shiver down her spine.

The horse Grimm, after enough struggling and neighing, managed to get itself out of the hole that Jinx had placed it in, its imp half dragging lifelessly as the horse took over.

"Uh, Weiss, what is that thing?" Jinx asked, eyeing the Nuckelavee cautiously as the imp half slowly rose to life.

"It's a Nuckelavee, one of the more powerful monsters from my world." She breathed, her heartbeat quickening at the thought of facing a Nuckelavee and then having to fight Lashina and Knockout right afterwards.

"Any tips on how to beat it?" Conner asked, smirking as he inspected the ghoulish creature.

The imp rose to life and screeched its life-draining cry, making the heroes cover their ears in attempts to block out the noise.

From her studies and what Team RNJR had told her, Weiss felt like she knew enough, but her lack of Aura left her at a severe disadvantage.

One wrong move and she would be vulnerable.

The scar over her eye tingled, as if defiantly reminding her of all of the fights that she had fought on low or even no Aura, reminding her of the very fight where she earned her freedom- and her scar.

She would just have to make do with what she had.

"I may have a few."

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 _ **A.N. And I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but unfortunately, college comes first on my long list of priorities.**_

 _ **And it may be also due to the fact that I was stuck on the same paragraph for about a week before I finally moved on.**_

 _ **Anyways, how are you guys feeling with the progression of the story? There are times when I feel like I'm going painfully slow, but then I remember that I once read a 60+ chapter fic in the span of two days and still wanted more afterwards and that I'm barely on chapter 15 with this one.**_

 _ **And lastly, any guesses/hopes for who Salem's mystery warrior is going to be? There's (unfortunately) a lot of great characters who've fallen in the past six volumes and I'd love to hear what you guys think.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	16. Extraterrestrial Intervention

"The Nuckelavee is a hybrid that's made up of two different Grimm: the horse and the imp that's on top of it." Weiss explained, using a Glyph to dodge another swipe from its stretchy hand. "The imp and the horse can't move at the same time for some reason, so its range is-"

"Looks like an easy target to me." Kid Flash grinned before he sped towards the Grimm.

Before he could reach it, the Nuckelavee screeched at him, the sound waves so strong that he was blown back into Jinx, the two tumbling onto the street behind them.

"-slightly limited." Weiss winced, looking at the pair sprawled out on top of each other, dazed from the impact.

Seeing that they were vulnerable, the Nuckelavee launched another claw at them, but before it could reach, Jinx let loose a burst of magic that made it screech in pain, smoke rising from the wound.

Jinx disentangled herself from Kid Flash and stood up, offering a hand to help him up. "What would you do without me?"

He smile cheekily and sped up to his feet, kissing her on the cheek. "Probably wouldn't last a day without my Slowpoke."

After Kid Flash had been blown away by the Nuckelavee, Conner went in for an attack as well, managing to dodge one arm before the Nuckelavee twisted its spine and he was backhanded by the other.

Anticipating that the Nuckelavee would smack him away, Weiss used Gravity Glyphs to slow him down, the series of Glyphs stretching and eventually shattering under his considerable weight before he hit the ground.

"Less flirting more fighting." He growled, pushing himself off the ground.

"Well maybe if _you_ didn't spend so much time giving Weiss googly eyes you'd be actually be able to dodge an attack." Jinx fired back another wave of pink magic, disintegrating a pair of Parademons that had escaped their previous all-out assault.

Conner's face turned pink at the accusation. "I don't-"

A group of smaller Nevermores flew at him from behind, prompting Jinx to send another burst of magic at them, reducing them to smoke before they could get close. "See what I mean?"

Conner grumbled some rather colorful expletives before turning to Weiss, ignoring Jinx's irritating smirk. "We're not gonna make any progress with that thing at this rate. Got any ideas?"

Remembering the power of Jinx's magic, spiraling out of her hands in a way that almost resembled a rose, Weiss was struck with another idea, one that might end in disaster if her hunch was incorrect.

"Conner, Kid Flash, do you think you two could keep it busy?"

Kid Flash grinned and Conner nodded, the pink hue his face had taken on dying down as they looked at the Nuckelavee.

"You got it, Ice Princess."

"Piece of cake."

In a flash, they sped towards the Nuckelavee, doing their best to aggravate it and keep its attention off Jinx and Weiss.

"What's the plan?"

Weiss loaded Water and Wind Dust, creating three Ice Glyphs which were positioned in front of them, the snowflakes spinning and generating an icy wind as they charged power.

"It's a team attack. If my theory is correct, the energy from your magic and my Dust are compatible. By sending your magic through my Glyphs-"

"-It'll lace my magic with ice and we can freeze that sucker." She finished, a look of excitement on her face as pink energy started to swirl in her irises.

"Let's give it a shot. Kid Flash, Conner, hold it down!"

The Nuckelavee screeched and extended its stretchy arms, swinging them around in a circle in an attempt smack away the four of them at the same time.

Anticipating its attack, Conner caught both arms and pulled them back as far as he could, making the creature scream as it couldn't get out of his grasp.

Before it could switch to the horse Grimm, Kid Flash used his speed to run through take its legs out from under it, breaking them and immobilizing the Nuckelavee.

Jinx put her hands forward and focused, pink energy swirling around her as her eyes started to glow. Her magic surged forward in a swirl of pink tendrils that resembled a chaotic bouquet of roses, passing through the Glyphs.

A blizzard of icy petals, thorns, and roses flew towards the Nuckelavee, overwhelming it as the magic and the ice froze it, the roses cutting the Grimm until it was reduced to ice crystals and dust.

When the ice dissipated into fine snowflakes, Weiss sighed in relief and dispelled the Glyphs, glad that they were able to take out the powerful Grimm in a short amount of time.

"It looks like our horse friend wasn't all it was cracked up to be." Knockout sighed, jumping down from the top of Blaze Comics.

Lashina smirked, jumping down as well, using her whips to swing down from the roof. "But it did do quite the number on our little heroes. Defeating them and taking the girl will be child's play."

Weiss tightened her grip on Myrtenaster, knowing that after fighting Grimm all day, and then the Nuckelavee to top it off, she wouldn't be able to stand a chance.

Before either of them could attack, two lasers came from behind the heroes, forcing Lashina and Knockout to jump out of the way, leaving the lasers to burn through a Beowolf Grimm that had just clawed its way out of the Pool in Blaze Comics.

"Have the Furies sunk so low that they attack weakened teenagers?"

A man wearing a blue suit with the Super emblem on his chest flew over Weiss' head and stood in front of them, his long red cape billowing in the wind dramatically. He had black hair which was pushed back, a stark contrast to his bright blue eyes. His physique was massive and he stood at just an inch or so taller than Conner.

So this is _Superman..._

Weiss could feel the energy surging from him even from ten feet away, to the point where the air around him warmed from the solar energy that powered his body.

He and Conner bore an uncanny resemblance, but considering the fact that Conner was supposed to be an exact clone of Superman, it wasn't surprising.

Standing next to each other, Weiss could almost see them as father and son, though if she said that to Conner, he might get angry with her.

Kid Flash gawked at Superman's sudden appearance and while Jinx rolled her eyes at his fanboyish tendencies outwardly, she couldn't help but stare too, only having seen the superhero in person a few times.

Conner on the other hand, visibly tensed and crossed his arms, his posture suddenly becoming defensive. His previously cocky demeanor had been replaced by a stoic aura, reminding Weiss of what he had been like when they had first met.

"It seems that the mighty Man of Steel has decided to grace us with his presence. It would be in our best interest to retreat for now." Lashina advised, her whips floating in the air warily as Superman stood before them.

Before either of them could escape, a glowing golden lasso encircled them and then tied them together, keeping the Furies from escaping.

"Leaving so soon? After everything you did to the city, I would be disappointed if you didn't stay a while." A woman spoke from behind them, her accent foreign to Weiss' ears.

When she turned, she saw a tall woman with brown eyes and jet black hair which fell in loose curls. She wore a dark blue battle skirt which contrasted with her red tunic, both of which had gold lining at the top which were also shaped like a 'w'.

To finish the warrior queen look, she had a golden circlet and silver bracelets which covered the majority of her forearm.

She held a golden lasso in her hand, but on her back was a circular shield and a silver sword, looking as sharp and deadly as their wielder.

"Wonder Woman, how I wish you were dead right now." Lashina croaked, her words strained from the strange power that emanated from the lasso.

"Lord Darkseid is not gonna be happy with us." Knockout added, looking up at the sky dejectedly.

Superman flew over to them and stood before them, his arms crossed as he stared them down.

"Why are these creatures attacking Metropolis? How did Darkseid come to control them?"

"I'd rather die than reveal information about milord." Lashina replied, her eyes steely as she looked back at the two members of the Justice League.

Knockout and Lashina kept their mouths shut, but the longer they went without talking, the brighter it glowed.

"The Lasso of Hestia compels you to tell the truth. If you continue to resist, it will only become more painful." Wonder Woman warned, her voice strong and speaking in an accent that Weiss didn't recognize.

"Lord Darkseid-"

Just as Knockout was about to speak, a red beam of light came down from the sky and enveloped the Furies, causing them to scream out in pain as their molecules were ripped apart and then transported up through the light, causing Wonder Woman's lasso to fall to the floor.

"Wh-what happened to them?" Weiss asked to no one in particular, the horrifying image of Knockout and Lashina being torn apart at the molecular level engraved into her mind.

"Darkseid has called them back to Apokolips, though judging by how they were transported, I can imagine he is not too happy with them at the moment." Wonder Woman explained, reeling her lasso back in and hooking it to her hip.

Conner scoffed and looked back towards Blaze Comics, knowing that another Grimm was bound to come out if they wasted any more time. "Weiss, let's take care of the Grimm Pool before we get any more creepy-crawlies coming our way. We can deal with Darkseid's cronies later."

She nodded, faltering slightly as she realized that the fight with the Nuckelavee had taken more out of her than she thought. "One second."

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver to Light Dust and loaded it, Superman and Wonder Woman watching curiously as the runes on the side lit up.

"Okay, I'm ready. Just make sure to throw it at the proper time."

Conner smirked. "Your concern for me is touching."

Weiss rolled her eyes and sent a small orb of light into the Dust Bomb.

The lines circling around the ball lit up and the button started blinking, slowly at first, but speeding up as it was about to detonate.

Right before it could, Conner tossed it into the Grimm Pool and watched it detonate, burning away the darkness once more.

"Alright, three down, two to go." He dismissed, eager to get away from Superman before he could start asking questions that he didn't want to answer. "Let's head back to S.T.A.R. Labs to get some rest. We can finish up in the morning."

Seeing what he was doing, Superman placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not so fast. You wanna explain to me why Metropolis is crawling with these creatures?"

Conner shook off his hand and crossed his arms."Cisco and Caitlin didn't tell you?"

"I wanted to hear it from you two." He explained, turning to Weiss. "I figured Weiss would be able to explain what these creatures are better than they could."

Wonder Woman offered a familiar smile and placed a hand on Weiss' arm. "And we also wanted to get the chance to see you and get to know you. You've only been on Earth for a few weeks and already you've made a lasting impact. You make quite the heroine, Weiss."

The Amazon radiated so much power and beauty that she could only blush in response.

Wonder Woman reminded her of another great warrior who she had known on Remnant, and seeing her friendly and warm demeanor only made the resemblance greater.

The resemblance that Wonder Woman bore to Pyrrha was uncanny, and their ability to dazzle anyone that they met was unparalleled. Kid Flash was practically drooling and Jinx seemed to be questioning whether or not it was an appropriate time to get her autograph.

"Th-thank you. Where I'm from, it's a Huntress' duty to help those who can't help themselves and since Darkseid and his minions are after me, it's only right that I help rectify the problems he's made."

Wonder Woman smiled, knowing that when Weiss returned back to her home world, Earth will have lost a great heroine.

"Come, Titans. We have much to discuss, but after you rest for the night. I imagine that you're all exhausted after fighting these creatures all day."

Weiss smiled tiredly, having fought more Grimm in one day than she had in a week on Remnant. "That sounds splendid."

"Back to S.T.A.R. Labs it is." Conner dismissed, grabbing Weiss' hand and leading her back in the direction of the labs.

Wonder Woman cracked a smile while Superman just sighed, knowing that it would be harder to get through to Superboy than he had originally hoped.

"Actually," He started, knowing that Superboy wouldn't like what he would say next. "We need to head to Mount Justice for the time being."

Kid Flash and Superboy visibly tensed and Jinx crossed her arms, daring to look annoyed in front of her idol, Wonder Woman.

"Why? Is the lab not secure anymore?" Weiss asked, confused as to why her friends were guarded about the subject.

"The lab's fine, but we need to put your information in our database." Superman explained.

"We would normally head to our base, Watchtower, but with the state of the Metropolis, we thought it would be better if we stayed closer." Wonder Woman continued.

"What kind of information?" Weiss asked.

"Your basic profile and any information that you can share with us about your world."

"It's important that we get this done as soon as possible. We don't know what Darkseid is planning and judging by how quickly he was able to get in contact with your world, it won't be long before we get another surprise."

Conner clenched and unclenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the tension.

"Let's get going then. We need some rest before we take on the last two Pools. We're just putting ourselves in danger the more we stand around."

Superman smiled wryly. "Let's go."

One nauseating Zeta Beam later, they arrived inside Mount Justice, which was located in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, a state which seemed to be tinier than the entire city of Atlas.

"Ugh, I never want to do that again." Weiss sighed, placing a hand on her head as a wave of nausea overtook her.

In order to get to their base inside Mount Justice from Metropolis, they had to get to go by Zeta Beam, an energy beam that was designed to teleport people from one location to another, provided that both locations had the proper equipment of course.

Kid Flash had made an offhand comment that before they had the proper technology to control them, the Zeta Beams had the capacity to scramble someone's brains and make them go insane.

While Wonder Woman repeatedly assured her that no one had suffered symptoms as traumatic as that in a while, Weiss couldn't help but be nervous as the yellow light transported them and she felt like her entire body was being scrambled.

Noticing Weiss' nausea and disorientation, Jinx patted her on the back, smiling when she nearly toppled from lack of balance. "You get used to it."

Out of the entire group of heroes, it seemed as if Jinx was the only one who was even slightly at ease. Though by the eerie silence that seemed to consume the halls of Mount Justice, Weiss could see why.

"After Mount Justice was destroyed, we weren't sure if we wanted to rebuild, but we needed a place to treat heroes who were severely wounded in the last fight against Darkseid, so we decided to make use of it again." Superman explained as they walked through pristine white hallways.

The hospital was located directly in front of the room that the Zeta Beam had taken them, with the trauma center at the entrance.

"Martian Manhunter has been overseeing the hospital ever since M'g- ah, Miss Martian was put into stasis." Wonder Woman corrected herself, shooting a worried glance at Conner after she did so.

Conner's face remained impassive, but Weiss couldn't shake the feeling that he was hurting inside.

This place obviously held a lot of memories for him and Kid Flash, both good and bad.

Zwei barked, breaking Weiss out of her thoughts as he jumped out of her arms and ran through the hallway, stopping suddenly as he crashed into an invisible object.

"Zwei! Get back here!"

She ran after him and picked him up in her arms once more, only for him to lean over and lick the invisible object in front of them, causing whatever it was to groan.

The air in front of them shimmered until a green humanoid creature with red eyes appeared directly in front of them, looking slightly irritated at the jovial corgi.

Weiss jumped back in shock, both frightened and intrigued by the presumably alien person in front of her.

"It seems your pet is quite perceptive. Often times even Superman himself can't detect my presence until I am standing next to him." The green alien wiped off Zwei's slobber, wincing in disgust as he did so.

"Weiss, we'd like you to meet Martian Manhunter, also known as J'onn J'onnz." Wonder Woman introduced.

Martian Manhunter's image wavered before he shapeshifted into the form of a black man wearing a long black coat and slightly formal attire, reminding Weiss of what detectives would wear in old movies.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Schnee." His eyebrows created as he looked at her, and Weiss felt a headache like the one she got when she fought Superboy Prime come on, only this one was ten times as worse.

"It's a pleasure to meet you- ah!" She cried out, falling to the floor and clutching her head in pain.

"Weiss!" Conner ran over to her and put his large hands over her smaller ones, lifting her head to look at her properly. "What did you do to her?!"

Martian Manhunter's eyes widened and he stepped back, cancelling his powers that had inadvertently reached out to her mind.

He turned to Wonder Woman and Superman, already sensing the anger and confusion running through them.

"I assure you that it was no intention of mine to cause harm to Weiss. It seems that the energy around her and the dog protects her from my powers of telepathy. I've never seen anything quite like it in humans."

Weiss sighed in relief as the intense pressure was lifted. She froze and turned bright red as she realized her hands were still enveloped by Conner's, and that his face was inches away from hers.

"You okay?" He asked, unaware or not caring about their proximity to each other.

"Yes." She tried to catch her breath, but her heart was racing and Conner's steely eyes staring right into her own weren't helping much either. "His powers just caught me off guard. It was like when we fought Superboy Prime, only much, much worse."

"My apologies, Miss Schnee. It's not unusual for my powers to reach out to new people without my knowledge. If I had known about your powers, I would have made a better effort to keep my own under control."

Weiss stood up shakily and shook her head, knowing that the Martian was telling the truth.

"It's okay. Ever since our encounter with Superboy Prime I've been rather sensitive to telepathy."

Superman's eyes widened. "You two fought Jon?"

Wonder Woman shook her head and pointed to the elevator at the end of the hallway. "They can recount their adventures to us after they get some rest. We can scan Weiss in and get her properly documented in the morning."

Kid Flash grinned mischievously before yawning rather loudly and grabbing Jinx's hand. "Well I'm beat. C'mon, Slowpoke let's head up to my-"

Before he could speed them off, Superman placed a firm hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "Not so fast, hotshot. Jinx and Weiss will be sleeping in the guest room. You and Conner will be sleeping in your rooms."

He sighed and Jinx rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics. "Dummy."

"Superman and I have some business to attend to, but we will see you all in the morning. As of right now, the rest of the Teen Titans and the Justice League are patrolling Metropolis and guarding the remaining Pools, so you don't need to worry. Right now, all you need to concern yourselves with is getting rest." Wonder Woman explained.

The senior members of the Justice League began to make their way back towards the room that they were transported to.

"Be safe and don't get into any trouble. The patients here have earned time to rest and recuperate. Don't disturb them." Superman warned, looking pointedly at Kid Flash and Conner.

Conner stuck his hands in his pockets and muttered, "No problem."

Kid Flash stood up straight and saluted Superman, his mischievous grin still as bright as ever. "You got it boss."

Martian Manhunter and Superman looked at each other tiredly while Wonder Woman laughed lightly, still finding Kid Flash's personality amusing rather than tiring.

"Take care, we will see you in the morning."

With that, Superman and Wonder Woman teleported themselves to wherever they needed to go, leaving the four teenagers with the Martian Manhunter.

"I trust you know where to go." He dismissed quietly, his eyes flickering towards Weiss once more as he did so. "I will be in the intensive care unit if you need assistance."

The air shimmered around him before he disappeared completely, leaving Weiss with the slightest headache. It seemed that his powers were so strong that even when he used illusions and teleportation it reacted with her Aura.

"C'mon, let's go to bed. The sooner we sleep the sooner we can get back to Metropolis." Conner said, heading into the elevator before anyone could respond.

After the long day of fighting monsters and aliens, the thought of a warm bed to sleep in seemed almost too good to be true.

Weiss sighed as they walked into the elevator, the exhaustion from the entire day finally hitting her. "That sounds wonderful."

 _"Oof! Do you think you could lighten up a bit, Weiss? I mean, we're only training, right?" Oscar laughed nervously, narrowly deflecting another slash from Myrtenaster._

 _"Our enemies won't take it easy on you, so why should I? We are preparing for a real attack, aren't we?" Weiss responded, a smirk playing on her face as she dodged his next strike and deflected it with Myrtenaster, sparks flying as the cane slid against her rapier._

 _Oscar's eyes widened as he lost his balance and kept going forward, leaving Weiss the perfect opportunity to spin and slash him across his back, sending him flying forward and into the ground._

 _"Ow…" He groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat on the concrete of the Schnee Manor's courtyard._

 _Ruby ran over to his side and helped the injured boy up, a genuine smile on her face as she did so. "Don't feel too bad Oscar; you're already way better than when we first met."_

 _"Yeah, and if Jaune can do it, then you should have no problem." Yang teased from her place at the picnic table, sitting in the shade of the giant umbrella that they had set up earlier._

 _Blake and the rest of Team JN_R were sitting there as well, watching the training going on as they enjoyed the wonderfully mild weather that was ever so rare in the harsh Atlesian climate._

 _"Hey!" Jaune protested. He raised his finger as if to shoot back a retort, but then slowly lowered it, knowing that Oscar had been making leaps and bounds, much faster than when he first started. "You...have a point." He sighed._

 _Blake laughed lightly and stood up, ready to start her own training with Oscar. "I hope you're not too tired. We still have stealth maneuvers to go over."_

 _"And hand-to-hand combat after that." Yang piped up._

 _"And speed training after that." Ruby finished, grinning as Oscar visibly paled at being reminded of the lengthy training session ahead of him._

 _"Ooh, don't forget that tomorrow, you and I are going to be weightlifting! I'm gonna get you JACKED!" Nora reminded gleefully, planning to make the boy so sore he wouldn't be able to walk for days._

 _Weiss shook her head, knowing that she had at least ten minutes left with Oscar. "Wait your turn everyone, Oscar still has a thing or two to learn before I can let him go."_

 _"Fantastic." He groaned, readying his cane once again._

 _She readied her rapier again, demonstrating a proper standing position. "First off, you always have to be grounded and know where your weight is. If your opponent manages to dodge a forward attack…" Weiss thrust Myrtenaster forward and purposefully aimed it at the air next to him. Oscar swung his cane in an arc and aimed it for her back, just like she did with him earlier. She turned and blocked his strike head on, the force from his blow pushing her back the slightest bit. "Be light on your feet and ready to block."_

 _Weiss pulled back and put Myrtenaster back at her side, signalling that their training session was over. "Our weapons aren't as heavy or impactful as say a scythe or a hammer and we're not exactly the biggest people in Remnant either, but what we lack in power, we make up in speed and agility."_

 _Oscar had actually grown a few inches in the past few months, and it didn't seem he would stop growing until he reached Jaune's height, but for now, they were still some of the shortest people in the group._

 _"Remember, light, yet grounded. The only movements that you should make are the movements that you choose to make. Don't let your opponents take advantage of your own attacks."_

 _He nodded and put his cane down, leaning on it in a way that wasn't dissimilar to the way that Ozpin would. "Thanks, Weiss."_

 _"How about we take a break? After all, it's only fair that you get to enjoy this lovely day with the rest of us." She offered, gesturing to the table filled with food that Klein had lovingly prepared for them._

 _"That sounds awesome." He sighed, sitting down and digging in to the food._

 _"Don't eat too much." Yang warned. "I don't want any vomit on me during training, and I don't think Jaune would be too happy about losing his title of 'Vomit Boy'."_

 _"Hey!"_

 _Weiss giggled as she sat down as well and cut into the food, having worked up an appetite from all the training._

 _It was a beautiful day on the previously cold and desolate mansion, and she couldn't imagine spending it any other way._

The feeling of something warm and wet sliding down her face woke Weiss up, making her realize that she was crying in her sleep. She'd been away from her friends for too long.

 _How long has it been? Two weeks? A month?_

 _Were they on their way to Vacuo already? Or are they still waiting for me in Atlas?_

In the excitement of crime fighting and saving the world with superheroes, it was almost too easy to forget about Remnant and the war that her friends were fighting.

While she was caught up in fighting Darkseid and his minions, her efforts of getting back to Remnant were nearly forgotten. She knew that the safety of Earth and its people were important, but she couldn't help but wonder what her own world was going through. It seemed that Darkseid had managed to make contact with Salem and struck a deal with her.

 _I can only imagine what horrors he's released onto Remnant._

Something nudged into her side and she looked down at Zwei, the only piece of Remnant that she had with her. He looked up at her with his sleepy puppy dog eyes as if asking, _why are you up so early?_

It was 7 a.m., but Weiss had always been an early riser, so she didn't feel tired at all.

Jinx continued to sleep soundly in the bed across from hers, though by the way magic sparked at her fingertips as she slept, Weiss could tell that she did not wish to be woken until well after the sun rose.

Stretching, Weiss got out of bed and put on her usual outfit again, having slept in some borrowed pyjamas for the night, and hooked Myrtenaster back to her side. After putting her hair back in its usual ponytail she walked out of the room, Zwei following her sleepily, his short little legs moving sluggishly after her.

Weiss stopped when she realized she didn't know where she was going and Zwei crashed into her, falling back onto his little behind. "Silly dog."

The only thing that she could hear were the sounds of her heels clicking against the steel of the floor and the faint pitter-patter of Zwei's paws, the atmosphere eerily similar to the many abandoned or destroyed towns scattered across Remnant. It was obvious that this place used to be filled with life, but after some big calamity, all that was left was a husk.

She kept on going until she found an elevator and walked in, Zwei still faithfully by her side.

When they first arrived yesterday and rode the elevator, she had noticed that there was a grotto detailed in the mountain's layout. Her curiosity got the best of her before she could even ponder the consequences and she found herself pressing the button without the least bit of hesitation.

In a matter of seconds, the elevator took her to the destination. With a ding and a green light, the elevator doors opened, revealing a beautiful, yet solemn cave.

There was green moss running across the walls of the grotto with a clear stream running through the middle. A small bridge was created over the stream for easier access, though she wasn't entirely sure what needed to be accessed.

There was a calming aura about the place that radiated peace and tranquility. Zwei yawned as he explored before finding a soft patch of moss and laying down on it, going back to sleep while Weiss explored the rest of the grotto.

As she walked around, her foot caught on something and she nearly tripped, if not for a Glyph that helped her regain her balance. "That's strange."

She stepped back and tapped her foot on the obtrusive object again, only to find that it was made of metal and it was circular, like a giant hockey puck. Using an Ice Glyph, she froze the moss covering it and cleared it away. As soon as she did, the pedestal lit up and a hologram was projected from the base.

The hologram was of a blonde girl wearing a red costume with a bow at her side. At her feet, a placard was projected as well, simply reading _Artemis,_ which Weiss guessed was her hero alias.

As she looked around, she saw more of these pedestals which were covered in moss, each representing a hero.

Once again, without thinking, Weiss drove Myrtenaster into the ground and created an Ice Glyph under her which spread a thin sheet of ice across the grotto. She then created a Wind Glyph and used the a vortex of wind to blow away the sheet of ice, revealing all of the pedestals and creating an icy flurry which made it seem like it was snowing.

In an instant, all of the pedestals lit up, revealing the heroes who had fallen in the line of duty, each one with a costume more colorful and daring than the last.

"Wow." She breathed, just slightly wary of how lifelike the effigies were.

Weiss kept on walking until she reached the most recent one, judging by the lack of ice and moss that there was in the general area.

A red-haired girl wearing a blue cape, a white short-sleeved top with a red 'x' going over it, a blue pleated skirt, blue gloves, and blue knee high boots was projected from the pedestal, the words _Miss Martian_ displayed at her feet.

She stepped back in surprise, realizing she may have uncovered something she shouldn't have.

"What are you doing in here? You're supposed to be resting."

Weiss froze. She'd been caught by the one person she was hoping wouldn't come.

She turned around to see Conner standing at the entrance to the cave, looking at her through one of the holograms that was behind her.

"Conner, what is this place?"

Weiss had never seen or heard about these heroes before, save for Miss Martian, and she had a bad feeling as to why she hadn't.

Before she could make her way back to him, he sped towards her, not even sparing a glance to the giant hologram that was behind her, projecting his possibly dead ex-girlfriend.

"C'mon, Ice Princess. If you're not gonna sleep, there're waffles in the kitchen." Conner responded, choosing not to answer her question.

He moved to grab her hand, but Weiss walked past him and looked around the grotto, its beauty and solemnity breathtaking. "This place...it's so serene and peaceful, but these heroes… They're dead, aren't they?"

He looked back up at Miss Martian's effigie and at the rest of the holograms, a sadness behind his eyes that she had never seen before. "Not all of them. M'g- Miss Martian and a few others are still stuck in comas. Martian Manhunter's always been a cynic, so he prepared some for them anyways."

Suddenly, Miss Martian's dedication seemed more like a warning of the inevitability of death rather than something to honor the actions of a kind heroine.

"I see." Weiss looked down, feeling sorry for having brought him back to a room filled with people that he once knew. "I'm sorry for intruding. My curiosity got the better of me and I only ended up reminding you of everyone that you've lost in the fight against Darkseid."

"Someone I knew once told me to always keep moving forward, to not let the past keep you down." Conner smiled and put his hand on her head, making her look up at him again. "They were all great heroes and I'll miss them, but they're in my past. I need to start looking towards the future."

Something about the way he said 'future' made her knees weak.

His cobalt eyes were staring into hers with an intensity that she didn't know existed and she swore she could've been imagining it, _butis his face getting closer to mine?_

"Listen," The hand that was on her head slid down to caress her cheek. "Over the past few weeks I've-"

Before Conner could finish his sentence, he was cut off by the sound of the elevator doors opening again, this time revealing Martian Manhunter, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

He and Weiss separated faster than she thought she was capable of moving, though she was positive that the three members of the Justice League had seen them in their compromising position.

"Superboy, Miss Schnee, it is in your best interest to go down to the kitchen and eat before your return to Metropolis. We wouldn't want you two faltering on the battlefield because you were canoodling in the grotto." Martian Manhunter advised, his voice colder than usual as he watched the blushing pair make their way over.

"Weiss, we'll meet with you in about half an hour to speak with you and get you properly documented as an American citizen- just in case you have any run-ins with the law." Wonder Woman reminded, a faint smile on her face as she saw how red the younger heroine's face was, positive that they had walked in on a moment between the two.

"Of course." She squeaked, picking Zwei and racing to the elevator, Conner right behind her as they pushed the buttons on the elevator, frantically wishing that it would close faster.

After the doors closed, Wonder Woman sighed and looked at J'onn. "You shouldn't be so harsh on them; they're young and they already have so much to worry about for people their age. Let them be."

"It's been a while since Conner opened himself up to anyone. I think she'll be good for him." Superman added, knowing that it had been incredibly hard to get in contact with him until Weiss had shown up.

"She is from a different dimension. She found a weak spot in the Source Wall and made her way through it, but after she returns, the Source will ensure that the rift is sealed and that no one can cross it again; It is not one to make the same mistake twice." J'onn reminded them, crossing his arms stoically. "And Superboy's body continues to resist the aging process. What of their relationship when Miss Schnee is an adult and Superboy remains a teenager?"

"Caitlin and Cisco-"

"-Are learning as they go. They lack understanding of his body's composition and of Kryptonian genetics. It will take a miracle to fix his problem."

Wonder Woman smirked. "Before this month, we thought it was impossible to cross the Source Wall, and yet here she is. If you would like a miracle, I'm sure our Huntress will be able to deliver."

J'onn looked over at the effigie of M'gann, his expression softening as he looked at the depiction protege.

"I certainly hope so."

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"Ah, the walk of shame." Jinx called out as soon as Weiss and Conner stepped out of the elevator and walked into the kitchen, making their fading blushes return with a vengeance. "Conner, I expected, but you, Weiss? It's surprising, especially from a dignified lady such as yourself." She teased, a mischievous glint in her pink irises.

"Nah, I saw it coming a mile away. Look at those two- it's like watching puppies."

Kid Flash was cut off by Conner smacking him upside the head, making him yelp in pain before running behind Jinx for protection. "Hide me!"

"Shut the hell up." He muttered, reaching for a waffle and stuffing it in his mouth, wanting to have a reason not to talk to the annoying pair.

Weiss laughed lightly at their antics and sat down between Jinx and Conner, eating some waffles as the news played in the background.

 _"It seems that the monsters that were wreaking havoc on the city of Metropolis have now lessened in numbers, but it is still advised for citizens not to return until the authorities have deemed it safe. The Justice League and countless other heroes have been working hard to clean up the streets and we thank them for their heroic efforts." The anchorwoman said, images of Metropolis playing behind her as she spoke._

The videos that were playing were the ones taken the day before, by the chopper that Weiss and Conner had saved it seemed.

 _" And it seems that Metropolis has a new heroine protecting it."_ The anchorwoman added as the video cut to Weiss and Superboy fighting off the swarm of Grimm that were attacking the news chopper. _" She valiantly protected Channel 6's news chopper alongside Superboy before making their way into Metropolis, presumably to meet up with the Justice League."_

Weiss couldn't help the smile that made its way on her face as she was honored for something that was almost second nature for her at this point. On Remnant, it was a Huntress' job to protect the people, and while recognition usually came with it, it was nowhere near the extent that the superheroes got for their actions.

"Way to go, Weiss. National recognition within your first month of being here." Jinx commended.

Kid Flash nodded. "Yeah, the news doesn't usually have the greatest relationship with new heroes-"

 _"Not much is known about this new heroine, but she was seen fighting with ethereal creatures that are similar to the ones that are plaguing Metropolis. Could she be the reason for the devastating attack? Is she somehow related to these monsters? This young heroine could be-"_

Conner turned off the t.v. angrily, the remote shattering into pieces under his intense grip.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Jinx muttered dryly.

"Don't sweat it, Weiss. After this whole situation blows over, the news'll be onto the next big disaster." Kid Flash reassured her, though she could tell he was only doing it to make her feel better.

Being in the public eye wasn't new to Weiss, but she had a feeling that America's population was much bigger that Atlas'.

"I'm not worried." She responded truthfully. "The media can say what they want, but my only concern is ridding Metropolis of the Grimm."

Footsteps were heard down the hallway before Wonder Woman appeared in the doorway. "Weiss, it's time to get you documented and then answer some questions."

Noticing Conner's concerned look, she added, "It won't take longer than half an hour. After that, we will be set to return to Metropolis."

"Of course. Let's get started."

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"I must admit, Darkseid, I was skeptical of your power when you first contacted me, but you have proven to be a most excellent business partner. Remnant will be in ruins much faster than I had anticipated thanks to you." Salem complimented, raising her glass of wine to the Grimm Mirror.

Darkseid smirked and leaned back in his throne. "Of course, your majesty. And I'm positive that your warrior will be most successful in capturing the girl. It has proven to be quite powerful."

She set her wine glass down and laced her fingers together. "In light of my recent successes, I have some other warriors in mind who will be quite useful in expediting the capture of Miss Schnee."

"I await their arrival. Until next time, your majesty."

The Grimm Mirror hung itself on her wall once more, now displaying images of the fallen Kingdom of Vacuo, powerful Grimm running through the city, being lead by giant Beringel that was encased in red armor, an omega symbol emblazoned on its helmet.

"Dr. Watts, bring our newest acquisitions. I have another job for you."

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	17. The Witch Makes Herself Known

"What is your full name and age?"

"Weiss Schnee, eighteen years old."

"And the dog?"

"Zwei Rose, three years old."

The corgi yipped in response, causing two circles to form around them in the ground, their names and age displayed around the rings.

Weiss wasn't sure what to call the room that she was standing in. It was like a meeting room, but there were two large tubes in the side of the room and a computer system that was set up around the entire room so that it could be accessed holographically from any point. The floor was also a part of the computer system, she realized, as it was constantly analyzing her movement patterns and her biometric readings.

When she had first arrived on Earth, Weiss had thought that because of their lack of Dust that they might be less technologically advanced than Remnant, but from what she was seeing right now, it was obvious that they were doing just fine.

"Height?"

"5'3." Weiss answered with unwavering confidence, hoping for the sake of her pride that they would ignore her answer and move on.

Wonder Woman looked up from the holographic list that she had in her hands and smirked. "Without heels."

Weiss sighed, knowing that she had been caught. "...4'11."

Her height was added to the circle under her as well.

"Country of origin?"

"The Kingdom of Atlas."

"Kingdom…" Superman pondered over their next line of questions. "Is there a family reigning solely over this kingdom or is it a constitutional monarchy?"

"Neither. The Atlesian Council is in charge with various committees and subcommittees comprised of elected officials to handle the affairs of Atlas. There hasn't been a ruling king or queen for centuries and the government runs much like how it does here in the U.S., though Atlas isn't nearly as big." Weiss explained, the circle underneath her glowing as it processed her words.

There were multiple rings around the first white circle that read her name, each one a different color as the computer scanned her. The letters by the rings were rather small, but from what she could glean, she saw the words "stamina", "powers", "intellect", "speed", and "strength".

"Your weapon." Martian Manhunter's eyes flickered to Myrtenaster, which was still hooked to her side. "Francisco and Caitlin have already sent us their analysis, but we would like for you to explain how it works. The energy, this 'Dust' as they mentioned, has no parallel of any kind in our dimension. Explain."

Weiss felt like she was back at Beacon and being forced to take a pop quiz in Doctor Oobleck's class. "It's called Myrtenaster, and it's a Multi Action Dust Rapier, a rapier that can load any form of Dust and allow me to either use it through the sword or through my Semblance."

"Yes, the Teen Titans sent us a report on your Semblance. They're called Glyphs, correct?" Wonder Woman asked.

"And everyone from your world has the capability of producing a Semblance?" Superman added.

"Yes, they're a projection of our Aura, and while it may take some training or rather strenuous situations for them to appear, everyone has one."

A devious idea struck Wonder Woman, one that be quite fun for her and disprove Martian Manhunter's suspicions about her power. "Would you like to demonstrate for us?"

"Of course." Weiss responded, not knowing what she was getting herself into. "Would you like me to- whoa!"

Wonder Woman drew her sword and shield and rushed at her before she could finish her sentence, forcing her to use a Glyph to jump back, the circle that was underneath her glowing even brighter as it registered the energy from the Glyph.

"Excellent reflexes." She commented. "It seems that your Glyphs act as platforms which allow for improved jumping abilities. What else can they do?"

She rushed at Weiss again, going so fast that she could barely process the Amazonian warrior's attacks. Knowing she wasn't going to be able to dodge, Weiss loaded Fire Dust and blocked her attack, forcing Wonder Woman back as a shield of fire emerged from the rapier.

The circle that was under Weiss glowed again as it registered the Dust, adding another ring to the circle.

"And not only does Dust come in elemental forms, you can also use it to improve your physical abilities. How interesting. Now let's test your abilities with the sword."

She ran at Weiss and slashed at her, forcing her to backflip and counter with another slash which Wonder Woman blocked easily. They continued their swordplay for a good minute or so before Weiss couldn't keep up anymore and used a Gravity Glyph to force Wonder Woman back and get herself a good distance away as well.

"Gravity manipulation...how intriguing."

Before Wonder Woman could come at her again, Weiss loaded Wind Dust and swung Myrtenaster in an arc in her direction, creating a large green Wind Glyph which spun rapidly as a vortex of wind blasted out of it.

Weiss hoped that it would at least push the Amazonian back, but she simply grinned as she stood in the vortex of wind, her bracelets taking the brunt of the impact as she held them out in front of her.

Superman and Martian Manhunter looked mildly impressed, but to them, the vortex of wind was nothing more than a slight breeze.

Wonder Woman pulled her arms back, and just as Weiss thought that she might be able to get a leg up, Wonder Woman crashed her bracelets together and created a large shockwave which cancelled out the Glyph and blew Weiss back.

She caught herself in the air with a Glyph and launched herself at Wonder Woman. Instead of going directly at her, Weiss went over her and slashed at her, which she quickly blocked.

Before Wonder Woman could turn and strike back at her, Weiss created an Ice Glyph underneath them and froze her, though from her fight with Warp all those weeks ago, she knew that being frozen in solid ice was nothing more than a bother for superheroes.

With a Glyph, Weiss backflipped into the air and loaded Lightning Dust, using it to create a Time Dilation Glyph and send it to Wonder Woman, the Glyph activating under her frozen form.

By the time the ice cracked and the Amazonian broke free, a blur sped right past her and into the wall behind her, causing a loud boom to resound through the building and a large crater to be formed in the wall, a dust cloud released from the impact.

Weiss looked at the crater, scared that she might've injured Wonder Woman before she heard loud, jovial laughter coming from the crater as the dust cleared.

"Well done, Weiss!" Wonder Woman stepped out of the crater, looking perfectly fine despite having run straight into a granite wall.

Weiss looked over to Superman and Martian Manhunter, both looking rather impressed with her, though the latter looked somewhat disgruntled with Wonder Woman's excitement after the sparring match.

"Your powers are incredibly versatile and you are one of the brightest warriors that I have ever met. Instead of trying to fight me head on, you used your ice to freeze me and then you altered my perception of time so that I would lose my orientation and completely miss! Absolutely brilliant." She applauded.

Weiss looked down at the circle under her and saw that all of the rings were complete, creating a rainbow of circles, each one coordinated to a different aspect of her abilities.

"Yes, your Semblance is quite interesting. And that was not even the full extent of your powers was it?" Martian Manhunter questioned, his red eyes staring right through her.

"No, but I thought that since we still have to head to Metropolis that I wouldn't use some of my more strenuous techniques." Weiss admitted, hooking Myrtenaster back to her side.

"And you still managed to keep up with a founding member of the Justice League." Superman acknowledged, nodding towards Wonder Woman.

"Yes, despite your age and size you seem to possess a level of swordswomanship that exceeds most." Martian Manhunter added in somewhat of a backhanded compliment that Weiss most certainly did not miss.

Wonder Woman brought out a holographic form and pressed a few buttons before the circles under Weiss and Zwei glowed gold and something flashed before them.

Machines whirred in the background before something printed and flew towards her. She caught it from the air, realizing that it was an identification card of some sort, passing her off as an American citizen from New York, New York, the city that she first landed in when she arrived to Earth.

"As founding members of the Justice League, it is our honor to give you the Designation of R01 and Zwei the Designation of CR01. These Designations will allow you to access Mount Justice and any other building which is owned by the Justice League." Wonder Woman explained, their Designations appearing in the circles underneath them as she spoke.

"As the first person to come from the world of Remnant, we've decided to create a new class of Designations, the 'R' class. The 'C' category belongs to any pets that assist heroes, and since Zwei is also from Remnant, we decided to give him the Designation CR." Superman explained.

Wonder Woman input some coordinates on the hologram in front of her, making the tubes that were in the side of the room turn on and start to whir with power. "And now that we have that out of the way, it's best that we make our way back to Metropolis. It is time that we restore peace and order to the city once more."

"Agreed. It's time that eradicate the Grimm for good."

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"We're going to start with the Grimm Pool in the harbor. Aquaman defeated the Godzilla Grimm that came out of it yesterday, but it's been releasing other aquatic Grimm into the ocean ever since." Superman explained, the entire group minus Martian Manhunter now on the Metropolis boardwalk, making their way over to the harbor.

"Will the Dust bombs work underwater?" Jinx asked, blasting a Griffin with pink magic.

"Cisco and Caitlin knew that one of the Grimm Pools was in the harbor, so they have to be. Right?" Weiss reasoned, though she wasn't as sure as she would have liked to be.

Kid Flash zipped around the perimeter."Luckily, the harbor looks pretty clear so it shouldn't be too hard to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a tremor rocked through the ground and gigantic waves started to ripple through the harbor. Most of the ships had been evacuated by Aquaman earlier, but the ones that were still there had capsized because of the Grimm.

Zwei ran up and down the boardwalk, yipping excitedly at the shining ocean waves, innocently unaware of the damage that had been done.

"Weiss, are there any more aquatic Grimm that we should be aware of?" Wonder Woman asked, her sword and shield already out and ready to fight whatever it was that was in the ocean.

"The Leviathan and the Sea Feilong are the only large aquatic Grimm that I'm aware of, but the oceans of Remnant are massive. There are still hundreds of Grimm that are still undiscovered on land, even more in the ocean." She explained as she readied Myrtenaster.

Another set of large waves erupted from the harbor before the water turned as black as the Grimm Pools, the evil liquid mixing with the water once more as it prepared to unleash another Grimm into Metropolis.

"Wait, where's Aquaman?" Conner asked.

As if hearing the question, a gigantic Grimm burst from the ocean, a large blonde man wearing skin-tight orange swim gear with dark blue bottoms and a golden trident riding on its back.

"Is that a plesiosaur?" Kid Flash asked, the Grimm looking remarkably like the dinosaur that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

"It's colossal." Weiss breathed, noting that it was gigantic even compared to the Sea Feilong. It was bigger than some of Metropolis' biggest skyscrapers.

"How can a monster from your world look like a dinosaur from ours?" Conner asked, his eyes wide as he watched the sea Grimm swim out to sea, creating waves that were as taller than most buildings in its wake.

"I-I have no idea. I've never seen or even heard of such a...Behemoth. As far as I know, there's no record of it in the Atlesian archives."

Superman watched the enormous waves coming towards the harbor, knowing that if they made it all the way, every building in a mile radius would be reduced to splinters.

"Wonder Woman, let's help out Aquaman in restraining the beast. We'll need you guys to keep those waves back from reaching the shore. Think you can handle it?"

The boardwalk was about five miles long before there were no more buildings of any kind along the beach, meaning that they had to cover that distance in the time it took for a wave to hit the shore.

Stopping building-sized tidal waves in thirty seconds or less, _no problem, right?_

Kid Flash smirked. "Easy-peasy."

"Then we'll leave the safety of the city to you, young heroes. Be careful." Wonder Woman advised before they both zoomed through the air towards the giant Grimm.

Conner smirked and looked at the tidal waves before turning to look at Weiss expectantly, catching her off guard. "Well? You're the one with the ice magic, aren't you?"

Weiss looked at the tidal wave coming at them, an idea striking her at Conner's mention of ice. "I may have an idea."

"Kid Flash, could you take Zwei back to S.T.A.R. Labs? I don't want to risk him getting pulled into the ocean."

He nodded. "Back in a flash." He picked up Zwei and zoomed off, coming back in a matter of seconds.

"Alright. Let's get started." She created Ice Glyphs underneath them and coated the four of them with the energy. If she used multiple Glyphs, it would take too much energy to span the entire five miles, but by distributing the power among the four of them…

"Hmm…" Jinx tested out her magic, a devious smirk appearing on her face when she realized that it was laced with ice. "I like this."

Ice crept up Kid Flash's uniform so that his red boots and red gloves were covered with ice, with some more icy accents creeping around his costume. "Sweet."

Conner's gloves and all other red accents were also covered in ice, the blue of the ice matching the cobalt blue of his own eyes, which Weiss supposed was a side effect of her subconscious' influence on her Semblance.

"It's...not cold." Conner flexed his fingers, marvelling at how he could move them without the ice cracking or breaking.

"Let's look at the pretty ice later. We've got a tidal wave coming at us in less than twenty seconds." Jinx warned, ready to test out her altered magic.

Kid Flash grinned. "This should be fun."

Creating another set of Glyphs, the four of them jumped towards the ocean.

Every step Kid Flash took, ice formed under him and he zipped his way over the wave in zigzags, freezing his portion in a matter of seconds.

Jinx created a ball of swirling magic as she flew through the air and slammed it down into the water, freezing the wave and the water closest to the beach in an instant.

As Weiss flew through the air, she created a large Glyph in the water and landed on it, freezing the wave in its tracks.

Conner went right after her, freezing the rest of the tidal wave with a punch, reducing the entire wave to a slurry of ice and slush.

They all came together on a large slab of ice, multiple tidal waves coming at them again as the colossal Grimm tried to swim away.

Oddly enough, the Grimm wasn't trying to fight back against Aquaman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. They were doing damage to it, but it seemed that it was only trying to get away from them and get to deeper waters.

"That's strange. The Grimm isn't fighting back." Weiss noticed, seeing that the Grimm only seemed mildly irritated by the constant onslaught of attacks by the Justice League.

"Let's worry about getting that Pool destroyed first. That's the second big Godzilla sized monster to come out of that hole, and I don't want there to be a third." Kid Flash reasoned.

"We can handle the next tidal wave. You guys take care of the Grimm Pool." Jinx added, using her magic to create a pathway of ice that led further out into the ocean.

Weiss looked at the retreating Grimm and then back at the black liquid that was contaminating the ocean.

"Okay. Be careful."

They nodded and made their way out to sea, leaving Weiss and Conner to figure out how to get rid of the Grimm Pool.

"It's mixed with the water so now it's huge. That must be how the behemoth managed to get through." Conner realized, the water under them now as black as the Grimm pools.

Weiss used a Glyph to jump into the air, the black liquid now burning through the ice that they were standing on. "I don't think the Dust bomb is going to be able to get rid of all of this."

He jumped up and floated next to her, looking down at the black ocean under them. He looked at Weiss and saw the gears turning in her head. Her grip tightened on her sword and the revolver spun so that it landed on the white crystal.

"I'll just have to do it myself." She responded, the Glyph that she was standing on stopping and reversing its direction as dragon designs began to form around it, the Glyph expanding as it gained more rings around it and became more intricate in design.

Conner's eyes widened and he looked back at the expanse of black. "You can't be serious. You nearly blacked out when you did it last time. And this one is ten times the size of the first one!"

"That was because I didn't know what I was doing." Weiss loaded Light Dust and let it flow through Myrtenaster, creating a Summoning Glyph in midair, the runes glowing a silvery white color as she prepared for her Summon.

Now that she had mastered fusing Dust with her Summons, she didn't need to worry about tearing another hole through the fabric of space-time. She could feel the Dust weaving its way into her Summon, her Aura mingling with the Light Dust perfectly.

The Summoning Glyph glowed a bright silver color, the sheer intensity of the light already starting to burn away the sinister liquid. The Glyph spun faster and faster until a silver Sea Feilong soared out of it, the silver light mixing with the golden light of the sun to create an ethereal glow that was cast over the black ocean.

"The Grimm Pool has been diluted by the sea water, so containing it won't be a problem." Taking in a deep breath, Weiss directed the Sea Feilong around the area where the Grimm Pool had polluted the water, the long dragon's mouth clamping on its tail to create a barrier of light, keeping the darkness from spreading any further.

She closed her eyes in concentration, directing the Sea Feilong to close in on the Grimm Pool, purifying the water as it moved.

Conner watched as the giant dragon purified the water, both amazed and worried at Weiss' ability to sustain the creature. He looked back at the ocean and saw that Jinx and Kid Flash were still hard at work making sure that the tidal waves couldn't reach them. The giant Grimm was still trying to get away, but since it was so huge, it wouldn't be able to get to waters deep enough to hide it until it was miles out into the ocean.

"How are you feeling Weiss?" He asked, unclipping a Dust bomb from his belt.

The Sea Feilong roared as it finally reached the Grimm Pool, the black pool now visible through the clear water. It opened its huge jaws and released a blast of silver energy, burning through the Pool.

Weiss sighed as the rest of the Grimm Pool was eviscerated, leaving nothing but pure, clean water in its wake.

"Tired, but I'll manage." She responded, dispelling the Summon, a rainbow forming in the air as the light and the ice crystals mixed together, creating a soft glow over their surroundings.

"Let's head back to the Jinx and Kid Flash. It looks like they have their hands full with the last of the waves."

Weiss' Ice Glyphs had worn off them but they still kept on going, reducing the waves with their own powers. Luckily, by then the Grimm had gone far enough that it wasn't making such big waves anymore.

She used Glyphs to skate over to them across the water while Conner flew next to her, managing to reach them right before another wave hit.

The four of them used their respective powers to cancel out the smaller wave, with Weiss using several Fire Glyphs to launch a blast of fire, evaporating the wave.

"We can handle it from here." Jinx let loose a blast of pink energy that destroyed another wave. "Go ahead and catch up with the rest of the Justice League. That huge Grimm is going to be tough to kill."

Weiss still wasn't sure if killing the Grimm was the best way to go about it, but considering that there was still another Pool in Metropolis that was still spewing out Grimm, they didn't have much time to wait around.

She looked out across the ocean and saw that they were already miles away. As if reading her thoughts, Conner floated next to her and picked her up, catching her off guard as he didn't give her any prior notice, an annoying habit that he still hadn't dropped. "Hey!"

"Can you give me a boost with your magic?" He asked, disregarding her previous protests.

"For the last time," Weiss grumbled as a white Glyph appeared under Conner. "It's a Semblance, not magic."

"Eh, potato potahto." He dismissed, using the Glyph to propel himself towards the behemoth Grimm at dizzying speeds.

They got to the Grimm relatively quickly, but because of how big it was, its entire shell was like a small island.

The Justice League was at the creature's head, hitting it with everything they had, and it looked like they were starting to irritate it.

It's head pulled back and the light that was at the end of the antenna on its forehead pulsed brightly. Realizing that it was about to attack, Weiss loaded Hard-Light Dust created a force field around her and Superboy.

A dark yellow light pulsed and pushed the Justice League back, sending them flying into the large shell of the Grimm, getting lost in the coral reef that was on its back.

The light washed over Weiss and Conner, the force field that protected them buzzing with energy as she fought against the intense strength of the light.

When the light faded, the Grimm roared loudly and swung its gigantic head at them, creating a large wall of air that rushed at them, pushing them back.

Conner turned so that his back was facing the Grimm, bracing for impact while holding Weiss tightly against his chest, his eyes instinctively closing as he waited for the pain.

The impact that they were waiting for never came, a warm puff of air washing over them instead. Releasing a breath that Weiss didn't know she was holding, she jumped out of Conner arms and onto a Glyph, turning to see a yellow eye that was almost as big as she was staring back at her.

"Aah!" She jumped back, almost stumbling off of her own Glyph.

"What the… Why isn't it attacking us?" Conner asked, staring up at the Grimm, which just looked back down at them curiously.

"I have no idea. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it was born in this world."

Weiss slowly reached out to the Grimm and placed a hand on its snout, which was about the size of a boulder. Conner's heart rate picked up as he waited for the Grimm's reaction, sighing in relief when it released a low, purring noise.

"God, this is so weird." He sighed, reaching out to pet the Grimm.

"I think all it wants is to get away; To rest at the bottom of the ocean." Weiss realized, seeing how it looked longingly at the vast ocean before them.

"Weiss! Superboy! Are you alright?" Wonder Woman called as she flew towards them, Superman and Aquaman behind her, with Aquaman riding on a giant pillar of water.

"We're fine." Weiss dismissed hurriedly, trying to keep their attention on her and not the Grimm. "Listen, I don't think-"

"Get away from it!" Superman called, zooming towards them.

"Leave it to us, kiddos." Aquaman added, his golden trident glowing with power as the column of water surrounded him.

"Wait!" Conner's eyes widened as he realized what they were about to do. "Don't hurt it!"

His warning was too late as Superman punched the giant Grimm and Aquaman stabbed it in the eye with his trident, making it cry out, its roar deafening.

The warm yellow light on its antenna turned blood red, its eyes and scales along its neck turning the same color.

"Weiss, Conner, get out of here." Wonder Woman ordered, readying her sword and shield.

"But the Grimm wasn't trying to hurt anyone!" Weiss reminded her angrily, upset that they had completely disregarded their advice.

The behemoth Grimm roared loudly and released a wave of blood red light, the impact sending everyone flying backwards.

As she was blown off the Glyph, Weiss caught herself with another one and jumped back towards Superboy, creating a Glyph next to him instead of creating another Summon in order to conserve Aura.

"Head to the next Pool. We'll catch up with you after we take care of it!" Superman advised them before getting smacked out of the air and into the ocean by the Grimm's giant head.

They hesitated, but Aquaman went to attack the Grimm once more, jamming his trident in its skull. "You heard the man! Get the fuck out of here!" He yelled, before being thrown off and sent plummeting onto its shell.

"Let's get out of here." Conner murmured as he picked up Weiss.

She nodded and created a Glyph under him which propelled them back towards Metropolis, the massive shadow of the Grimm cast over them as they went back.

Weiss looked back at the Grimm, which roared in agony as Wonder Woman slashed along its neck and Superman used his laser vision to cut down its shell. Her eyes stung with the salty air of the ocean and the tears that threatened to fall down her face at seeing the previously peaceful Grimm turned into the mindless beast that she knew the Creatures of Grimm to be.

"It wasn't trying to hurt anyone."

Conner sighed and kept looking forward, not wanting to see the fight that was going on behind them."I know."

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The moment that the LexCorp building came into view, Weiss felt Conner's muscles tense around her, his entire posture becoming rigid. He hadn't gone into detail about what exactly set him off about the building, but she could tell that it bothered him.

The Pool was located on the roof of the building, looking darker and more concentrated than the others had. Even from a distance, Weiss could feel the evil energy surging from it, making her glad that they had an extra Dust bomb since it would definitely take more than one to get rid of the last Pool.

When they landed on top of the building, they were greeted by the sight of some more members of the Justice League, all of which who were fighting off a wave of Creeps and Beowolves.

A man wearing a bat-themed armor, a woman dressed like a magician, and a man wielding lightning based powers.

The man wearing the bat armor had completely concealed his identity so that Weiss couldn't discern any of his features, aside from the fact that he had a graying beard. He was muscular, but leaner than Superman, and he fought with such technique and voracity that she could see that he most certainly didn't need powers to keep up with everyone.

The woman who fought alongside him wore a low cut, white button up which had a black blazer over it, black denim shorts with some fishnet stockings under, and some black heeled boots. To top it off, she had a black top hat which she wore well over her long, wavy brown hair. She fought off the Grimm with blasts of magic and odd spells which were focused through a black wand.

The third hero was massively built, wearing a bright red skin-tight suit with a glowing lightning bolt on his chest. He wore a white hooded cape with gold accents which seemed to constantly billowing behind him, no matter the direction of the wind. He crushed the Grimm with brute strength, using lightning to disintegrate any that were farther than he could reach.

The three heroes worked quickly destroying the remaining Grimm before Weiss and Conner even touched down on the helipad.

The man in the bat-themed armor crossed his arms as they walked over to them. "It's about time. These damned things don't stop coming." He grumbled, his voice low and rough from the voice modulator that he had in his suit.

"Don't mind him." The woman smirked. "Old Batsy's just in a bad mood. I think he's been having hot flashes." She winked at Weiss and Conner, making them laugh, despite the death glare that was coming from the hero who Weiss could only guess was Batman.

The man in the bright red costume sauntered up to them, his gaze focused on Weiss as he extended his hand towards her. "And who might you be? I don't think I'd ever forget a heroine of your beauty." He asked in a tone that was probably supposed to be charming.

 _Is he hitting on me?_

Weiss held her hand back and looked at Conner, silently asking why this grown man in his thirties was trying to flirt with her. "Uh…"

Conner just face palmed and sighed. "Billy, shut up."

"It's Shazam!" He cried, his powers calling down a lightning bolt which engulfed him, leaving a fourteen year old boy in his place. "You know, I knew it was a bad idea telling the Justice League because now everyone thinks they can just boss me around!"

Weiss' jaw dropped, but she quickly caught herself and regained her composure, shocked that the herculean hero she had previously spoken with turned out to be a fourteen year old boy.

Unlike his counterpart, Billy was rather lean, not much taller than she was, and had brown hair and brown eyes, making for a perfectly ordinary looking boy.

The magician woman rolled her eyes. "William here is fourteen years old, but was bestowed with magic powers that allow him to transform into an adult hero." She explained. "My name is Zatanna Zatara, master magician and premier sorceress of the Justice League."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Weiss extended her hand and Zatanna took it.

Zatanna's eyes glowed for a second before she let go of Weiss' hand, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "That's quite the powerful enchantment you have over you. I've never seen any light magic quite like it, I'm impressed."

Conner smirked, looking at Weiss with an 'I told you so' look on his face. "Told you it was magic."

"It's not- ugh, never mind. Let's just get this over with." She huffed, loading Light Dust into Myrtenaster, catching the members of the Justice League's eyes as the runes on her rapier lit up. "The faster that we get rid of the last Pool the better."

As soon as she finished her sentence, a wave rippled across the Pool, the liquid getting darker, as if sensing the presence of her Aura and the Light Dust.

Zatanna's stance wavered, sensing the pure malevolence emanating from the Pool. "It feels… alive. Is this normal, Weiss?"

The Pool continued to ripple and shake, an image starting to form on its surface. Weiss froze as colors of red, white, black, and yellow swirled across the surface, eventually revealing the face of someone that she had hoped she would never see in this world.

A face, pale as ivory with eyes as black as ebony, and irises as red as blood appeared on its surface.

Weiss unconsciously stepped back. "Salem."

This mistress of Grimm smirked, lacing her fingers together and narrowing her eyes, her red gaze burning through her, as if she could see right through her soul. "Ah, the ex-heiress to the infamous Schnee Dust Company. How lovely to finally meet you."

Conner, only slightly deterred, clenched his fists and walked up to the Pool, looking Salem directly in the eye. "Who the hell do you think you are? Go back to the cave you crawled from and leave Earth the fuck alone."

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, lab rat. Darkseid and I have come to an agreement and I find I've taken a liking to this universe."

"What kind of an agreement?" Batman pressed, making Salem's smirk turn into one of amusement.

"What trivial costumes you 'heroes' wear. The Huntsmen and Huntresses at least have some regard for their outward appearance." She remarked, completely ignoring his costume.

Weiss slashed Myrtenaster in the air, sending a sphere of Light Energy towards the Pool, the liquid hissing as it burned away, before coming back together to show Salem's displeased face. " _What kind of agreement_?" She reiterated, giving her the iciest glare she could muster.

"I'm not the slightest bit inclined to tell you, Miss Schnee, especially after your most recent transgressions against me."

Zatanna's magic wand started glowing. "Tell us what we want to know or-"

The Grimm Pool rippled and the ground beneath them rumbled, Salem's eyes glowing red. "I believe it's time that you heroes see what horrors Remnant is truly capable of. What I am capable of."

An enormous mass started to emerge from the Grimm Pool, Salem's cackling reverberating through the air as the Grimm started to take form.

A Grimm that resembled a manta ray, close to the size of the previous plesiosaur Grimm that they had fought in the harbor emerged from the Pool, releasing a shrill, deafening shriek as it took to the skies.

Before the Grimm appeared, there weren't very many clouds in the sky, but after, the weather changed drastically, a cold airstream blasting over the Metropolis skyline as dark, ominous clouds gathered overhead.

The Grimm flew away before circling back, it's enormous mouth open as if it was preparing to eat the entire building, a feat which it was definitely capable of doing.

A ball of yellow energy started forming in its mouth, prompting Billy to yell, "Shazam!" and turn into his adult self once more. "Ready, Zatanna?"

The sorceress twirled her wand in her hand. "I'm offended you'd think otherwise."

The manta ray Grimm released an enormous blast of energy and shot it directly at them. Shazam flew right into the line of fire and released a blast of electricity, while Zatanna waved her glowing wand in the air and shouted, "Tcelfer!"

A purple barrier was created over the rooftop, catching all of the residual energy from the Shazam's attack and reflecting it back at the manta ray Grimm.

It flew overhead, creating a strong updraft which nearly threw Weiss into the air, if not for her quick thinking and a Gravity Glyph.

"You two take care of the Pool here. We'll lead it away from the city." Batman ordered, his eyes on the behemoth Grimm as it circled back towards them.

Despite being completely human- lacking any special powers or abilities to help him fight, Batman seemed completely at ease with the thought of taking on a creature that had the capability of leveling a city.

Weiss was at a total loss for words as the three members of the Justice League ran towards the Grimm. Batman, with the help of a bat-shaped grappling hook, latched on to one of the Grimm's horns and jumped on, Zatanna and Shazam using their powers to direct it upwards and into the sky, away from Metropolis.

"H-how…"

"Batman's not a member of the Justice League for nothing." Conner remarked, watching as they led the massive Grimm away from the city.

He unclipped the second-to-last Dust bomb from his belt. "Alright. Let's get this over with. That thing was huge so we shouldn't be seeing another Grimm for a while."

Salem's cackling echoed through her mind as he walked closer to the Pool. A sudden sense of dread filled her as the Pool began rippling again, the witch's blood red glare burning through her mind. "Conner, I'm not sure-"

The image of a crimson katana flickered over the Pool before a gunshot was heard, shooting it through the air, embedding itself into Conner's stomach, his face going pale as he doubled over, crumpling to the ground.

"Conner!" Weiss cried as she ran towards him, the distance between them feeling like miles rather than a few yards.

Before she could reach him, a blade of crimson energy with a black outline came out from the Pool and struck her, making her cry out as the impact cut through her and sent her to the ground.

*** _Cue Lusus Naturae_ by Jeff Williams***

Sheer horror coursed through her as a figure slowly, tauntingly, rose out of the Grimm Pool. The thick, blood-like liquid slid off the figure as it- no, he clawed his way out of it.

Weiss was frozen in fear as a pair of black bull horns which were about half a foot long and wickedly sharp rose out of the liquid, followed by a spiky mane of red hair which led to a scarred, gray and black face which looked as if it had been sewn together, and a black mask which looked like a monster's jaw had been hooked over his own.

The rest of his body was similar to his face: black and gray skin sewn together with red armor that had a bull with glowing eyes on either side of his shoulders, the arm guards going all the way down to his hand. He wore black jeans with a gray chain that he wore as a belt, another bull as the belt buckle, except this one was gray with red eyes.

His entire being radiated human anguish and pain, created by Salem to elicit fear from anyone who would lay eyes on him.

But it wasn't his armor that made Weiss' grip on Myrtenaster waver and her entire body shake.

In a twisted sense of irony, Salem and her cohorts had made sure that the only human part left of the creature standing before her was the part that her own father had stripped of him years ago.

A patch of tan human skin with the Schnee Dust Company initials burned into it was the only indication that he was ever human, the blacked out eye still scarred from the cruelty of her family's company.

"Adam."

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 ** _A.N. Well, I hope it wasn't too obvious who it was, but after Volume 6's ending, it was pretty obvious who would be appearing as Salem's champion. I got the idea of doing a Grimmified version of him after I saw the image in the link and the artist has an entire line of Grimmified RWBY characters and other art which is also awesome and something you should all check out._**

image/182463449690

 ** _When I was researching which Grimm I wanted to include, I found some really cool fanmade Grimm and while I did have to scale them down a bit so they wouldn't be completely impossible to kill, the Justice League features some rather powerful heroes who wouldn't have as much trouble with a Grimm that size as a normal Huntsman or Huntress. I absolutely loved the designs, so please follow the link and check out their other art._**

image/183217713379

 _ **I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!

P.S. For the links, just highlight them and right click and then choose "search Google for"

I tried putting in normal links, but this is the best I could do with the website.


	18. Lost Souls

"Pleasure to meet you, _Schnee._ "

Weiss had never seen Adam in person, but she remembered seeing countless wanted posters while she was in Atlas, and after hearing Blake's description about his scar, she was positive that the creature in front of her was the ex-leader of the White Fang.

The amount of pain and rage in his eyes was so intense that she almost felt paralyzed just looking at him. He had died on Remnant, in a state of frenzy and anger, killed by someone he once trusted for his crimes and state of madness.

It seemed as if Salem had captured every negative emotion that ran through him when he died and used it to fuel his power, turning him into a human/Grimm hybrid.

 _Adam, what did she do to you?_

Weiss looked over and saw Conner lying on the ground, unconscious as a sickly green glow emanated from the crimson sword that was embedded in his stomach. A feat that should have been impossible given his Kryptonian genes.

She tried to run over to him, but before she could, Adam removed the chain from around his hips and lashed it towards her, the weapon glowing with blood red energy, forcing her to use a Glyph to jump back, barely managing to grab a hold onto Myrtenaster.

"What did you do to him?"

Adam smirked as he walked over to Conner, slowly, tauntingly. When he reached Conner, he pulled out the sword, causing him to grunt in pain as blood started seeping from the stab wound.

The sword glowed even brighter as it was coated in Conner's blood, the crimson color mixing with a sickly green color, which upon further inspection, Weiss identified as a green gem which was embedded in his sword.

"Salem told me that your little boyfriend here was powerful, so she gave me this little gem to help even the playing field." He smirked, standing over Conner so that the gem continued to weaken his powers and make him sick.

Weiss loaded Light Dust and put on the iciest glare she could muster. "Get away from him. Your problems are with me. After all, I am the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The very same company that put that ugly scar on your face, isn't that right?"

Adam smirked and stabbed Conner in the stomach once more, looking Weiss directly in the eye as he did so. "If there's something I've learned, it's that the best way to inflict pain on humans, is by hurting the people they're closest to."

He twisted the chokuto in Conner's stomach, causing him to groan in pain even louder. "After I kill this freak, I'm going to capture you, and then kill your leader, and then Blake, and then Yang so you can see how it feels to lose the people you love."

He pulled the chokuto out of Conner and then kicked him back to Weiss, wanting her to see the light flicker out of his eyes before he died.

"So many good Faunus died in your family's Dust mines, and yet you never bat an eyelash for them. Good people working day in and day out for your family, _dying_ for your family, and what do they get? They get _branded_ like animals for wanting to be free."

Weiss tried to fight the angry tears that were threatening to fall, but everything that he had said was true. People died in the Dust mines and yet her family did nothing to change it. There were uprisings and protests, but the Atlas military was too strong, and they were quelled just as soon as they started.

"You Schnees are even worse than the Grimm. You're soulless, greedy, backstabbing humans who bleed the Faunus dry and take everything for yourselves. You think I'm the monster? Take one good look at what your family's done in the last twenty years."

She was speechless. In her time on Earth, she had forgotten about the SDC and all of its crimes. She had forgotten everything that she set out to do by becoming a Huntress.

She had forgotten her duty to the people of Atlas, to Remnant, to try and fix the damage that her father had caused.

 _And now I never will._

Adam came at her with an intensity she could barely protect herself against. Weiss brought up Myrtenaster to block his strikes, but each one pushed her further and further back, until she felt a strong breeze behind her and nothing but a metal fence to keep her from toppling over the edge. He swung Wilt and Weiss blocked, the force of the strike knocking Myrtenaster out of her hands. He punched her in the gut and grabbed her ponytail, using it as leverage as he pressed his chokuto against her neck, the crimson energy surrounding it burning through her Aura.

"You're weak, Schnee. If it wasn't for Salem, I would have killed you and the freak, but all in due ti-"

Adam was cut off by a red and blue blur speeding in front of Weiss and punching him in the stomach, sending him flying and over the edge of the building.

Conner crumpled to the ground in pain as his wounds had yet to heal, having used the last of his strength to swat Adam away. He held Myrtenaster up to Weiss, a bloody smirk on his face as he offered her weapon to her.

"Drop something, Weiss?"

A sob escaped her before she could help it, and she looked down to see Conner holding Myrtenaster by the tip, pushing the handle into her left hand.

He sat up, still not completely able to stand on his own, and looked up at her, his eyes shining with something she couldn't identify. "I'm half human remember? It'll take a little more than a tiny Kryptonite crystal to take me down. I'm still healing, but in the meantime, give 'em hell."

Weiss sniffled and wiped away a stray tear. "Of course."

Several gunshots rang through the air, followed by Adam jumping over the edge of the building and back onto the helipad, using the kickback from the shotgun to help himself back over.

"What's wrong? Freak and a princess giving you trouble?" Conner taunted, despite still not being able to get up due to the still-bleeding stab wound in his stomach. "Don't think we'll go down that easy, _cow_."

Adam growled, his hair and armor glowing blood red. "Doesn't matter. You'll still pay for your sins, Schnee and I'll get justice for the Faunus. You'll suffer, just like I did!"

He shot his chokuto at her and she blocked it, sending it back towards it. He caught it midair and brought it back down on her, crimson energy surrounding him as he overpowered her and sent her reeling across the helipad.

Weiss rolled to absorb the impact and used a Glyph to propel herself towards him again, using quick strikes to push him back. He blocked them, and just as he was about to counter, she backflipped and kicked him in the face, using Glyphs to get a back until she loaded Hard-Light Dust and launched several bolts of energy at him.

He sheathed his sword and then pulled it out slightly, using the blade to block the energy attack before turning and slashing the chokuto through the air, sending a wave of energy back towards her.

Weiss loaded Fire Dust and used it to block the energy, a sphere of blood red fire forming around her as the energies collided.

"I have no doubt that you've suffered." She told him calmly, spinning Myrtenaster's revolver so it landed on Wind Dust. "But the moment you turned the White Fang into a violent extremist organization was the moment you renounced justice. You only care for vengeance."

Adam used a gunshot to propel himself towards Weiss. She used a Glyph to dodge, just barely managing to get out of the way before striking him in the back with some Wind Dust.

A vortex of wind almost blasted him over the side of the building, but before he could fall, he dug his sword into the concrete and used a gunshot to propel himself back up.

"Vengeance and justice are one and the same. And after I'm done with you, I'll go back to Remnant and make sure your team knows the exact same thing."

Weiss felt her anger spike at his threats. Her teammates were like sisters to her, and she'd be damned if she let him get back to Remnant before her.

" _Over my dead body_."

Adam smirked, placing a hand on his sheathed sword. "Wilt and I will make sure of it."

He shot his sword out of the sheathed and spun it so that it whirled like helicopter blades. Weiss blocked it, sliding back from the impact, and pushed it back towards him. He kicked it back towards her which she deflected into the air once again. He jumped in the air and caught it, using another gunshot to propel himself downwards and onto her.

Before he could drive Wilt into her skull, she created a Gravity Glyph and caught him with it, his chokuto mere inches away from her face. She brought the Glyph down and threw him to the side, using another Glyph to throw Wilt and Blush over the side of the skyscraper, sending them far away from Adam's grasp.

"That was smart. But…" Adam pulled the chain belt from around his waist and cracked it like a whip.

The chain elongated with the bull head on it turned so that it looked as if the chain was coming from its mouth. "Not good enough."

He swung the chain towards Conner, who had been unable to move from his spot on the ground.

Before the chain whip could reach him, Weiss used a Glyph to speed herself over to him and blocked the attack, the whip wrapping around Myrtenaster instead.

"Where do you think you're going? _I'm_ your opponent, not him."

Weiss loaded Fire Dust, Myrtenaster turning bright red as the runes along it glowed with power.

The chain turned bright red from the heat, but instead of recoiling and letting it go, Adam simply laughed. "The Ice Queen has some fire in her."

He pulled on the whip and swung it into the air with so much force that Weiss went into the air with it, refusing to let go of her rapier.

As soon as she was in the air, Adam slammed her back down on the ground and used the superheated whip to strike Conner, creating angry, red gashes across his chest as it burned away the material of his shirt. "Aah!"

He smirked, looping the chain back around his waist before holding his hand out and calling back Wilt and Blush to his hand in a burst of crimson energy. "The people here don't have any Aura. They're weak."

Conner shouldn't have taken so much damage, but if Weiss had to guess, the effects of the Kryptonite still hadn't entirely worn off.

His comment about Aura had struck a chord in her, though. Grimm were the only creatures on Remnant who were incapable of generating an Aura. Even animals had some capacity for an Aura, but the Grimm were soulless.

The creature standing before her was more Grimm than human, and if her hunch was correct, he would have all of the vulnerabilities of one as well.

"You don't need an Aura to be strong. You of all people should know that."

Weiss loaded Light Dust into Myrtenaster and slashed an arc of energy towards him.

Adam tried to block it, but the energy simply passed through his sword and burned into him, sending him reeling. When he got back up, there was a large gash across his chest, still singed from the Light Energy.

"I...I don't have Aura?" His hand reached up in shock as he felt the human patch of skin on his face.

He scratched at it, and in shockingly gruesome turn of events, the skin peeled off, revealing the rest of his Grimmified face.

"H-how... _How could she do this to me_?!" Adam bellowed, blood red energy pulsing around him.

"As powerful as Salem is, she can't bring people back from the dead." Weiss faltered as she remembered that trying to bring someone back from the dead was the entire reason why Remnant was, well, a remnant of what it used to be. "You're the embodiment of the negative emotions that Adam felt before he was killed. You're a shell- a husk of what he used to be."

" _I am Adam._ "

"Salem took advantage of Adam's negative emotions and turned them into a Grimm- you. The real Adam died back in Argus."

In reality, Weiss wasn't too sure that what she was saying was true, but it rattled the creature in front of her, just what she was going for.

He put a hand over the human eye, the other still clutching his sword with a death grip. "So I'm no longer human, huh?"

"You never were." Weiss responded softly, horrified and saddened that Salem could do such a thing.

Adam lowered his hand, revealing a sick gleam in his eyes that she had never seen before. " _Perfect_."

He slashed Wilt in an arc and cut a deadly arc, sending a blade of energy that hit Weiss directly, cutting through her Aura in a way that she didn't think was possible. He sheathed the chokuto again and then shot it out of the sheathe, catching it out of the air as he jumped towards her, his entire body bathed in energy as he slashed at her with the full force of Adam's last emotions.

Weiss loaded Wind and Water Dust, fortifying her strikes with Ice Glyphs, creating a flurry of ice and snow as their blades danced.

Adam swung down with an intense strength, causing Myrtenaster to fly upwards, spinning rapidly. Time slowed down around Weiss as she saw his blade come at her again, and in the slowest split-second of her life, she used a Glyph to bring down her rapier and parry the strike once more.

A fit of strong, wet coughs started up from a few feet behind her, reminding Weiss that she needed to finish the battle quickly, otherwise Conner's condition would only continue to worsen.

She dared not look back, but apparently the thought was enough as Adam's attention was diverted to the wounded hero behind her and he drove Wilt into the ground, releasing a shockwave that pulsed through the ground, blowing both Weiss and Conner back.

"Conner!" Weiss cried out, watching him get thrown against the thin metal fence that was the only barrier from an incredibly long fall.

He simply smirked through the pain, clutching his stomach which had started to bleed again. "You alright Weiss?" He asked as if he wasn't the one who was on death's door.

"I'm not the one with the stab wound right now!"

Adam smirked as he swung Wilt and cut a line of energy that separated Weiss and Conner, turning their attention back to him. "Enough blabbering. I think it's time that you and I go back to Salem and her allies. I'm sure you'll want to see Remnant one last time before it all goes to hell." He taunted, sheathing his sword.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, enough ice in her voice to freeze the ocean.

"A lot has happened while you've been gone. While you've been here, Salem and her army have been conquering Remnant. Last I heard, Vacuo was on its last legs."

Her heart dropped and Conner's eyes widened, looking up at Weiss with a concerned look on his face.

"You're lying. It's only been a month since I got here. She couldn't have taken Vacuo in such a short amount of time."

"Vale fell in a day, didn't it?"

Weiss created an Ice Glyph under her and coated Myrtenaster with ice, using Light Dust after to make the rapier glow with power, ready to finish him off once and for all. "I don't believe you." She replied stubbornly. "Remnant was _fine_ when I left and it will be _fine_ when I get back."

Crimson energy burst around him, his entire body bathed in blood red energy, the spitting image of the monster that had haunted and traumatized her friends after the fall of Vale.

He was born into a terrible life that had molded him into an even worse person, and now Salem had gone and violated him even more by trapping his last emotions into one of her creatures, creating an angry, disturbed puppet whose purpose in life was to be nothing more than a pawn for his demented queen.

"Fine. I can't wait to see your pain when you see Atlas in ruins and your precious home destroyed."

He stabbed his chokuto in the ground and launched several clones made of red energy at her, using them to surround her and disorient her. Just when they were about to close in on her, she used an Ice Glyph to create several spikes which fanned around her like a flower, shining with Light Dust as they destroyed the clones.

As soon as the spikes died down, Adam came at her again, their blades dancing in sparks of red and silver energy as Weiss slowly created a blizzard around them, the ice crystals glowing with Light Dust.

Using Wind, Water, and Light Dust was extremely taxing on her Aura, but if she was smart, she wouldn't have to use it for much longer.

Their blades clashed once more and their swords crossed, bringing Weiss face to face with Adam.

"Tell me, did you ever truly love Blake?"

Adam hesitated, confusion in his eyes before anger quickly took over, an explosion of red energy overtaking the both of them, enveloping the entire building and shooting up into the sky, creating a pillar of light that could be seen miles from the city. The ice and Light Dust swirled around her, protecting her from the red energy that surged around the both of them.

"Your dirty tricks won't work, Schnee." He growled, shooting Wilt out of its sheath and aiming a strike right for her heart.

Weiss spun and blocked his strike, bright sparks coming off their swords as he stumbled past her, his anger consuming him, making his strikes erratic and desperate.

In a last-ditch effort, he focused all of his energy into his sword, elongating it so it was about twice as long and thick, and brought it down on her head. Weiss side-stepped and blocked once more, sparks flying as his chokuto slid against her rapier, embedding itself in the ground.

In one fluid motion, she spun and thrust Myrtenaster into his stomach releasing every shred of power that she had left in her body, creating an explosion of light and ice, burning away the crimson energy and the last Grimm Pool in Metropolis.

Adam slumped over Weiss' shoulder, his breathing shallow as the Light Dust burned him from the inside out.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. It was useless, especially knowing that the real Adam was long dead, but she couldn't help herself. "I promise that the Faunus will be treated fairly when I get back."

While Adam's crimes were all done of his own volition, it was her family's cruelty that had pushed him to such a dark place, that had made him so cruel. If her father hadn't mistreated the Faunus working for the SDC, his life might have turned out differently.

"Tch." He groaned, pushing himself off Weiss' shoulder and onto the ground. "A promise from a Schnee...who would've thought."

"What-"

Before she could finish her question, the last of Adam's body burned away into smoke, rising into the sky and mixing with the snowflakes filled with Light Dust until they cancelled each other out, clearing the Metropolis skyline.

His sword clanged against the ground, dissolving into shadowy smoke that wrapped around her, causing her to cough and hack as the hellish air invaded her lungs. The Light Dust in Myrtenaster glowed, the silver light burning through the smoke until it dissipated, fading under the summer sun.

Weiss fell to her knees, stabbing Myrtenaster into the cement underneath her to support herself, the strain from using her Semblance so much settling in to the point where her Aura pulsed and shattered around her.

"Are you alright, Conner?" She asked her eyes trained on the ground, still breathless from the fight.

No response.

She looked up and saw him lying down on the ground, motionless, blood staining his clothes and still coming from where Adam whipped him with his chains.

"Conner!"

Weiss tried to run towards him, but tripped over her own legs and crashed onto the ground, unable to get back up from sheer exhaustion. Their hands were mere inches apart as she felt her vision start to spot over, black dots dancing across her field of vision as she pushed herself towards him.

She finally collapsed onto the ground and placed her hand in his outstretched one. As her vision started to fade to black and the world around her started to fade away, she felt his large hand curl around hers, their fingers laced together.

"Conner…"

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"Wake up, sleepy head!"

"Shh! When was the last time Weiss Schnee slept in? Let her sleep for a little longer."

"We've got training to do! We can't wait for the Ice Queen to finish with her beauty sleep.

Weiss groaned as the three voices above her argued in what only her teammates could call whispering. She grabbed one of the pillows around her and threw it in the direction of the highest voice, sinking into her pillow in satisfaction when she heard a muffled, "Hey!"

"C'mon, Weiss, get up!"

"Not now, Ruby. Let me-"

Weiss froze and sat up, finally opening her eyes to see her teammates sitting around her on her bed, sitting in her room, its icy blue walls and soft light filtering through the window incredibly jarring.

She looked down and saw that she was in her nightgown, Myrtenaster sitting in its case at the foot of her bed, exactly like it had looked like on the morning that she fought Warp and was sent to Earth.

"Hello?" Ruby asked, knocking on Weiss' head obtusely. "Anyone in there?"

Her fight against Adam replayed in her mind, the image of Conner's bloody and beaten body burned into her mind.

"Conner! I have to go back!" She scrambled out of bed and put on her combat skirt in a hurry, her teammates all looking at her with confused looks on their faces.

"Conner?" Blake asked, one cat ear bending in confusion.

"Ooh." Yang gushed, jumping onto Weiss' bed and resting her chin on the palms of her hands. "Is he one of those guys who came over yesterday for a business meeting?"

"Business meeting?"

"Maybe we went a little hard in training last night." Blake offered, placing a hand on Weiss' forehead.

"Yeah, you seem a little out of it. Are you okay, Weiss?"

A curt knock rapped against her door, interrupting their conversation.

"Come in." Weiss called, looking away from the door, pulling on her heels.

"I'm not sure if you forgot, dear, but you have five meetings today. I'd hate for the new CEO of the Schnee Dust Company to make a bad impression on the new investors."

Weiss' hands froze around her wedges, hearing a voice that she had hoped to never hear again for as long as she lived. She slowly pulled her head up, her heart racing in anticipation as she looked up and saw-

"Papa Schnee!" Yang greeted jovially, oblivious to the sheer horror coursing through Weiss. "Good to see you!"

"Aww, can't Weiss hang out with us for the day?" Ruby asked.

"Good to see you girls, and I'm sorry, but there is simply too much to be done today. Weiss, shall we get going?"

 _There's something wrong. So very wrong._

Everything about the situation felt alien and unnatural.

She had to get back. Back to...

All of her memories of the past month started to fade. Places, events, people, all began to fade away as she desperately tried to cling to them.

 _Earth. New York. Metropolis. The Titans. Damian. Conner. I spent the last month fighting for this planet I can't just..._

 _No. I can't forget. Conner's injured, he needs me. The Justice League are still fighting those giant Grimm, I have to help._

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help as the memories faded into nothingness.

 _I'm supposed to be... somewhere… Someone needs me._

But she couldn't remember.

"Of course, father." Weiss ground out cautiously. Every fiber of her being told her that it was wrong, but she couldn't remember anything else.

Nothing except for one name.

 _Conner Kent._

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 _ **A.N. So the Volume 6 soundtrack dropped and I listened to Lionize about a thousand times while writing this chapter. Big Metal Shoe, One Thing, Lionize, and Miracle are probably my favorite out of this season and I cannot wait to watch the RTX stream this weekend to learn more about Volume 7.**_

 _ **Now that the new banner for Volume 7 is up, any thoughts on RWBY's redesigns? I'm not the biggest fan of Weiss' braid-ponytail, but overall I think they look awesome.**_

 _ **As always, until next time!**_

P.S. This isn't the last time we'll see Team RWBY together.


	19. Home?

Weiss couldn't believe her eyes.

Her father and her mother were having dinner.

 _Together._

They sat at a reasonably sized dinner table, as opposed to the thirty feet long one that usually occupied their dining hall, chatting and eating _hamburgers_ of all things, gazing into each other's eyes lovingly.

Her mother wore her hair down, falling down her back in loose waves that curled slightly around her face, wearing a white sundress with a snowflake necklace resting against her collarbone.

Her father wore his usual work suit, though the jacket was unbuttoned and from what she could see, there was a sword hilt peeking out from under his jacket.

Ever since that horrid birthday so many years ago, her parents hadn't so much as looked at each other, yet there they were, chatting as if there was nothing wrong, and that her father hadn't caused her mother to drink herself into oblivion for the latter half of Weiss' life.

"Weiss dear, what are you doing still standing there? You've clearly spent the day working very hard with your father, so now I think it's due time that you spend some time with your mother."

"Yes, dear, I think that would be lovely. After all, I would hate for you to overwork yourself on my behalf." Jacques added, his caring tone not at all sarcastic or insulting as she expected him to sound.

"Uh…" She stammered, at a complete loss for words. Weiss wasn't sure how she had ended up in this strange, parallel dimension, but she was positive that there was no way that such a world existed where her parents genuinely loved each other.

"I believe it's time for a shopping spree, and a short visit to the salon to spice things up a bit with your hair and your combat skirt." Her mother offered, standing up from the dining table.

Weiss ran her fingers through her ponytail, suddenly self-conscious about her outfit. Her mother had never shown any interest in spending time with her or doing something as menial as going shopping.

"I...suppose an outing would be nice."

"Excellent. Oh, and call your teammates, I'm sure they would love to come as well!"

Weiss smiled dryly, not sure that they would.

"Of course. We'll meet with you in a minute."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"I could've sworn you said, a 'short visit' to the salon when you invited us earlier, mother." Weiss muttered, looking at the clock on the salon's wall that read 10:00 p.m.

"Well, Blake and I agreed that a cut would be good, especially since I know that the sun and heat in Menagerie can be quite damaging to hair health. Doesn't she just look darling?" Her mother defended, gesturing to Blake's now much shorter hair cut which hung just above her shoulders. "And besides, Ruby needed to touch up her red highlights and get a trim, and now your hair is much more manageable than before, isn't it?"

Weiss had to admit, the stylists in the Schnee's personal salon certainly knew what they were doing, though they only gave Yang the slightest of trims to get rid of the split ends, most likely out of fear that they would burn themselves from her Semblance.

"Not the hair." She simply explained, her literally fiery mane simmering down as the twin hair stylists, Maude and Maroon, backed away in fright.

"Yeah, I think we all look smokin'." Yang added, adjusting her cute bomber jacket that she had gotten at the mall earlier. "And, now all you have to do is swing your head and you can knock somebody out!"

The group broke out into laughter as Weiss toyed with her new braid, feeling how it was noticeably shorter and more solid than her previous ponytail. When it was just curled, it used to reach down to mid-thigh, but in the braid, it was now about waist-length, just slightly longer than when she was at Beacon, though much heavier now.

"I admit that this new combat skirt is beautiful." Weiss relented, loving the look of the white and red layers of her combat skirt and her vibrant blue top and the rubies that she wore. "But why do I have so many belts?" She breathed, loosening one of the belts that had been tied extremely tight around her.

"It's fashion, darling, don't question it." Her mother waved off lightly, re-tightening the belt that Weiss had just loosened, making her gasp as the belt constricted her airflow.

"Now you look ready to take down a horde of Grimm." Ruby complimented.

"Or a horde of business people." Blake added, still toying with the ends of her newly short hair.

"Speaking of which, your father said that there were reports of an outbreak of Grimm in Mantle yesterday. He said that he would like for Team RWBY and Team ORNJ (pronounced: orange) to assist in killing some of the stronger Grimm."

"Team ORNJ?" Weiss asked, earning some strange looks from her teammates and her mother.

"Yeah, don't you remember that they're visiting from their mission in Argus? I can't wait to see Oscar and the gang again!" Ruby explained excitedly, going on about how it had been a while since they had all sparred and about any possible upgrades they made to their weapons.

Weiss' mind went fuzzy as she adjusted to this new information. In her heart, she knew that she wasn't familiar with ORNJ, but for some reason, her brain was telling her otherwise.

 _ORNJ… as in Oscar, Ren, Nora, and Jaune? Why can't I remember them becoming a team? And did they join Haven Academy? How could they be on an official mission if we never started school again?_

"Of course, I just had a lapse in memory. How long has it been since we've last seen them anyways?" She asked casually, trying to fill the gaps in her memory that had bothered her since she woke up.

"Hmm...Summer internships started about three months ago, and we dropped them off at Haven on our way here for our internship...so about two and a half months or so." Blake answered, revealing more to Weiss than she was aware of.

 _Internship? If ORNJ is taking an internship at Haven, then does that mean that Vale has been rebuilt?_

"I'm so glad Ironwood let us come to Atlas for our internship. The technology and the upgrades to our weapons are so cool!" Ruby added excitedly, running her hands over the Dust cartridges that had been added to her scythe.

"Yeah, you can't even tell that my sword was broken the Sea Feilong anymore." Blake added, extending her now elongated katana.

Weiss' head spun and her brain felt fuzzy.

 _Sea Feilong? I could have sworn that it had been broken by…_

Once again, her memory stopped short as the name was about to come to mind. A story about a trip to visit Menagerie with Sun replaced it instead, reminding Weiss that it had been broken by an attack from a Sea Feilong on the way back to Atlas.

She felt a headache coming on. There were so many strange gaps in her memory and so many things that felt innately _wrong_ , but yet, Weiss couldn't remember or imagine any other alternative.

 _And I'm no closer to figuring out why the name_ _ **Conner Kent**_ _is stuck in my head._

"The Grimm won't stand a chance!" Ruby asserted, breaking Weiss out of her thoughts.

"And I got my firepower back!" Yang loaded her shotgun gauntlets, the other half to Ember Celica now over her mechanical arm. "With my new kinetic rounds, there won't be a Grimm that'll be left standing after I'm done with 'em."

"We'll be able to clean up Mantle in no time." Ruby high-fived her sister, her confidence hitting Weiss with a strange combination of nostalgia and excitement, though she had no idea what she had to be nostalgic about.

"Be safe girls, and remember to watch out for each other! There should be some other teams from Atlas Academy as well so you won't be alone." Her mother reminded as they made their way towards the Schnee airship.

Yang cracked her knuckles and smirked, her hair already starting to glow with the energy from her Aura starting to flow out of her. "Those Atlas specialists got nothing on us! I'd like to see them try and beat Team RWBY for most kills when the action starts."

"Yeah!" Ruby pumped her fist in the air. "Let's go kick some butt!"

? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ? ﾟﾌﾹ?

"Coming up behind you!" Ruby called, using a gunshot to propel herself and decapitate a Beowolf Grimm that had been in Weiss' blindspot.

"Bring it on, dog-breath!" Yang howled, going toe-to-toe with the Alpha as Ruby took out the last members of the pack.

Blake followed suit quickly after, swinging from building to building, taking out any Sphinxes or Griffons that got too close.

While it was technically fall, Solitas' icy climate had done little to show it, filling Mantle with ice and snow that had grown to be a part of the Grimms' natural appearance, giving them fangs and claws which were covered in ice.

The neighborhood that they were in wasn't in the greatest quality considering that it was directly under the Kingdom of Atlas, but the Grimm were reducing what little there was to ash, turning buildings and apartment complexes to rubble.

Despite their best efforts to reduce the concentration of Grimm in the run-down city of Mantle, a pack of Sabyrs and Sphinxes led by a Manticore Grimm closed in on them, surrounding them little by little.

"There's too many! Got any ideas, Ruby?" Yang asked, shooting round after round at the approaching Grimm.

"Ladybug!" She called out, taking one end of Blake's ribbons and tying it to Crescent Rose. "Duck everyone!"

She pressed the trigger and zoomed forwards, using her Semblance to cut through the Grimm surrounding them, Blake's ribbon acting as an anchor for her as they spun in circles, taking out a large quantity of Grimm.

With a gunshot, Ruby launched herself and Blake in the air, using another gunshot to create downward momentum to allow Blake to cut through a giant Sphinx that had flown too close.

"Freezerburn!"

Without thinking, Weiss loaded Fire and Wind Dust and stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, creating a red and green Glyph in the center of the pack. Yang jumped up into the air and then used a gunshot to propel herself downwards, slamming down onto the ground and releasing a giant explosion of fire and wind.

A loud screech from the sky brought their attention to the mother Nevermore that had led the legion of Grimm, prompting Weiss to create a series of Ice Glyphs in front of Yang.

She smirked and loaded her new kinetic rounds, shooting a series of salvos through the Glyphs, creating explosions of icy fire which created ice crystals all over the Grimm, sending it plummeting directly towards them.

"Head's up!" Weiss shouted as she created a Fire Glyph directly over Yang.

She jumped up and onto the fiery red Glyph just as Yang prepared a round and punched the Glyph with all her might, sending Weiss flying with an Aura of fire and ice around her, cutting through the Nevermore with ease and create an explosion that sent her back to her team, landing gracefully on the ground with some Wind Dust.

The explosion got rid of the rest of the Grimm in their vicinity, clearing away a good portion of the ice that had frozen over the street as well.

"That was awesome! It looks like our training has really paid off." Ruby grinned as the team came back together.

"Team RWBY is a force to be reckoned with." Weiss agreed, frowning as a feeling of nostalgia and somberness overtook her. She felt like it had been ages since the last time she fought with her team.

The sound of footsteps hitting the icy pavement broke her out of her thoughts and caught the girls' attention, the sound echoing through the empty cityscape.

"It really is." A warm and familiar voice spoke from behind them, catching the girls' attention.

Curious amber eyes stared back at them, framed by boyish freckles and tanned skin, dark brown hair falling into them slightly and swaying in the icy wind.

Images of a kind, short fourteen year old farm boy came to Weiss' mind, betraying the sight of the tall, lean seventeen year old Huntsman in front of her, the rest of his team trailing behind him.

"Oscar!" Ruby ran up to him and gave him a bear hug, rose petals trailing behind her.

"Hey, guys, good to see ya." Yang greeted as Team ORNJ approached them.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora, all looked great, despite the battleground that had become Mantle in the past few days.

"Xiao Long, you still owe me a rematch!" Nora reminded, deciding to completely skip the pleasantries.

Yang pushed up her right sleeve and beckoned her with a finger. "Bring it, Sparky. Ready to lose like last time?"

Ignoring the armwrestling match that would soon take place, Ren smiled and walked over to Weiss and Blake, pulling both into a hug. "It's great to see you guys again."

"Unfortunately, we don't come with good news." Jaune added, sheathing his sword when he saw that their surroundings were clear of Grimm. "Downtown Mantle just got hit with a wave of subterranean Grimm and they need backup."

"Downtown?" Weiss' heart dropped. "That's where the residence district and the majority of Mantle's population is."

Oscar nodded grimmly, both him and Ruby walking over to the group. "That's why we've got to get there as soon as possible. The Grimm knocked down one of the local comm towers so signal's been pretty bad ever since. We barely got the call for help before the towers went down."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Yang asked, loading Ember Celica with some more kinetic rounds. "Let's get going!"

"It's not that easy. The place is swarming with Grimm. We'd practically have to fall from the sky in order to get in without being overrun, and last I checked, all of the airships were being used to fight off flying Grimm that are trying to get into Atlas." Jaune explained, pointing upwards to where an aerial battle between a legion of Manticores and Queen Lancers and a fleet of bullheads was about to begin.

"There has to be some other way to get into downtown. It may take a while, but we could go through the sewers?" Blake supplied, gesturing over to a manhole cover a few feet away.

Nora shivered. "Grenade launchers and cramped sewers don't mix."

As they continued to plan, Weiss created a Glyph, getting a feel for her Aura levels in order to gauge just how crazy her plan was. Finding that she had more than enough Aura for her plan to work, she smirked and Summoned a Sphinx.

"Guys?" She caught their attention, their eyes going wide as more Summon Glyphs started to appear around her. "I think I know just the way to get us in."

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 _ **A.N. Writer's block sucks.**_

 _ **On the bright side, the team's back together!**_

 _ **I decided to cut this one a little short since I've delayed the chapter enough as it is and I figured that it was a decent place to cut the chapter, all things considered.**_

 _ **Truth be told, I really did enjoy writing the entire team together, especially since I'm a fan of their entire dynamic and banter that's reminiscent of the first few seasons as well as the team attacks that I got to riff on a little bit.**_

 _ **Anyways, school starts back on the 21st so I'm shooting for another update before then. Hopefully.**_

 _ **As always,**_ until next time!


	20. Dreamweaver

"Uh...Weiss, are you sure this is safe?" Blake asked as they all soared over Mantle, each on their own personal Sphinx as they made their way down.

Before Weiss could answer, an energy beam, most likely a stray shot from an AK-200 shot up from the city and clipped an icy feather off the Sphinx that Ruby was riding. The beast faltered, flapping its wings frantically as she focused and tried to calm it down.

"Woah!" Ruby held onto its horns with a death grip, the city below her suddenly seeming incredibly far down.

"Ruby!"

As Weiss focused more of her Aura on Ruby's Sphinx, the other Summons wavered as well, causing Team RWBY and ORNJ momentary panic as the only things keeping them from plummeting to the ground threatened to dissolve.

Fortunately, the beast levelled again, making Weiss sigh in relief as she was finally able to redistribute her focus among the other Summons.

"Of course." She assured them weakly. "I've been training and without any more big disruptions, we should be able to make it to the downtown area in no problem."

Jaune made a face, staring at something that Weiss didn't dare to look at. "Uh...Weiss?"

She sighed. "Yes, Jaune?"

"Would a Queen Lancer and a swarm of Lancers coming straight for us be considered a 'big disruption'?"

"Why yes, Jaune." She breathed. "That would definitely qualify as a disruption of immense proportions."

Downtown was no more than half a mile away, yet there they were, a cloud of icy, infernal insects led by their queen, blocking RWBY and ORNJ from moving forward.

"Got any ideas?" Nora asked Oscar.

"A few." He admitted, an oddly uncharacteristic smirk on his face as he prepared his staff.

Weiss did a double take as she took in the ancient runes along the staff, as well as the emerald crystal that was embedded in the top. It wasn't any form of Dust from what she could tell, but it radiated power that she couldn't explain or think to comprehend.

"What about you, Ruby?" Oscar asked.

"You take the right, we'll take the left. Whoever finishes last has to pay for lunch after!" She challenged, directing her Sphinx right into the fray.

"You're on!" He responded with equal gusto, flying right after her, giving Weiss a mini heart attack they both flew in with reckless abaddon, clearly having blind faith in her ability to keep up the Summons.

Weiss felt her Aura start to wane, the Sphinx underneath her wavering. "Uh, guys, I don't think we should-"

"Weiss, Blake, Checkmate!" Ruby called, completely ignoring her protests.

Before she could say anything else, black ribbons wrapped around her right wrist with Blake flying about ten feet to her right, holding onto her katana with a death grip.

"You'll be the death of me, Ruby." Weiss muttered under her breath, creating an Ice Glyph over the ribbon, causing a web of icy spikes to spiral out from it.

Ruby and Yang fought off any Lancers that tried to get too close to Blake and Weiss as they flew into the fray, disintegrating the insects as ice-barbed ribbon cut through them.

"Nice! Now let's show 'em what we can do. Nora, Ren, Chrysanthemum!"

Nora grinned, turning her hammer into a grenade launcher. "Heh heh, got it!"

"Careful Nora. Let's try not to destroy the city anymore than the Grimm have." Ren warned, making her gleefully crazy grin die down into a frown.

"Why do you have to take the fun out of it?"

He gave her a stern look before she sighed and relented, charging the grenade launcher with pink lightning. "Fine." She shot a heart-shaped grenade at the swarm, prompting Ren to jump forward and focus his Aura into his weapons, slashing them through the air multiple times and dividing the explosion so that it flourished outward, resembling an electrified explosive flower as it burned through the Grimm and damaged the Queen Lancer, though not enough to kill it.

"Strawberry Sunrise and Bumblebee!" Ruby called, loading Fire Dust into her scythe.

She jumped off the Sphinx and turned into a flurry of blazing rose petals, surrounding the Queen Lancer and the remaining Lancers.

While they were captured in the firestorm of petals, Blake shot Gambol Shroud towards Yang and wrapped it around her, throwing her directly at the Queen Lancer, Yang's hair glowing with the power of her Semblance.

With a single punch, Yang detonated the petal storm and disintegrated the remaining Grimm, blowing both her and Ruby back to their respective Sphinxes.

"Team RWBY for the win!"

"Looks you guys are paying for food!" Yang added victoriously, pumping her fist in the air.

"Don't get too comfortable." Jaune reminded, looking down at the downtown area which they were now hovering over. "It doesn't look like the Atlas military have made any progress with the Grimm."

"Just keep your heads up and we'll get through this." Ruby reminded. "Weiss, do you think you could get us down somewhere safe?"

Glad to finally have to stop supporting eight Summons at once, she nodded, looking over to a nearby noodle shop, neon lights reading A Simple Wok half blinking in the growing storm.

"I'll bring us down to the top of that shop, and from there we can make our way further into the city." She explained, looking around and finding their surroundings relatively clear of the Grimm.

"How long do you think it will take to clear the Grimm?" Ren asked, looking in the distance over the Grimm infested cityscape.

Weiss shook her head. "I don't know. The Atlas military usually would have handled this by now- I've never seen anything like this before."

Images of another place, a shining city on a hill, overrun with Grimm came to mind.

Flashes of red, yellow, and black- _a person_ , Weiss realized, blurred together, causing a head-splitting migraine to overtake her, making everything blur, bright lights dancing across her vision.

"Weiss, are you okay?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her realize that she was kneeling on the ground.

Her head cleared, but the three colors, red, black, and yellow were still in her mind.

"I-I'm fine. I just...used a lot of Aura." She lied, knowing that while Summoning so many Sphinxes had drained her, she was still more than capable of handling herself in a fight.

"Do you think you'll be able to keep on?" Blake asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, just give me a minute."

Growling and buzzing was heard in the distance, reminding RWBY and ORNJ of their situation, more waves of Grimm emerging from downtown.

"Uh, sorry Weiss, but I don't think we have a minute." Oscar stated, readying his staff.

She stood up, sighed, and readied Myrtenaster, giving the revolver a good spin.

"We never do."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"No!"

Weiss' heart stopped as she heard Ruby's blood-curdling scream.

Fighting off another Beowolf, she stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, using Water Dust to create geysers around her, blasting the rest of the Grimm away.

"Ruby!" She called, looking around for a bright red cape.

Kinetic rounds burst from behind her, followed by a black katana that embedded itself in a Creeper that got too close.

"What's wrong?"

"Where is she?"

The street that they were in was empty, Team ORNJ having gone ahead while they cleared the area. "I don't know. I don't see her-"

"WHY?!"

The scream came from across the street, drawing Weiss' attention to her teammate, currently flailing her arms about in front of what looked to be a destroyed comic book store.

"Gods, Ruby, we thought you were getting murdered or something." Yang sighed, turning her shotgun gauntlets back into bracelets.

"No, but my favorite Ultraboy comics were!" She bawled, crocodile tears streaming down her face.

In her hands, a burned copy of what looked to be a comic book flitted in the wind.

On the front of the comic, a young superhero wearing a black uniform with red lining stood heroically, his big red cape billowing in the wind. It looked like he might've had an emblem on his chest, but the only thing Weiss could make out was a red triangle.

 _Conner._

The image of a young man, infuriatingly tall and muscular, with tan skin, black hair, and piercing steel blue eyes came to mind, except she could make out the emblem on his chest- a red s in a triangle.

 _Who is he? Why can't I get him out of my mind? Why do I feel like everything in this world is wrong?_

"Whoa, Weiss, are you okay?" Ruby asked, dropping the comic on the ground.

"You're crying." Blake told her, noting the tears streaming down

"And you're pale- well, paler than usual." Yang noted, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Weiss put her hand on her face blankly, the feeling the wetness of her cheeks blankly.

"Y-yeah. I just- I'm..."

A shiver that felt like an electric shock ran down her spine.

She looked back at Ruby, and for a horrifying second, all she could see was blood red eyes, Grimmified versions of her teammates standing before her.

Their skin was deathly pale, like Salem's, and they all had sharp looking teeth and horns, ready to maul someone faster than a lake full of piranhas.

Ruby's scythe had turned into a black instrument of death, fissures of red streaking along it, resembling veins.

Blake's jaw was completely skeletonized, teeth that looked like they could easily rip break bone adorning it. Instead of proper arms, two tendrils of flesh with small scythes attached to them extended in front of her.

Yang's appearance was the most monstrous of all, her previously golden hair now completely white, washed out like the rest of her complexion. Instead of her yellow shot gauntlets, a dark gray one extended just below her shoulder on her left arm. Her right arm, on the other hand, was monstrous, turning into a Grimm's claw that was almost as big as Weiss herself.

"What's wrong, Weiss? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ruby asked, a sinister grin on her face.

Weiss blinked, and as soon as the image had appeared, it vanished, leaving regular Ruby in its place, her silver eyes glinting with worry.

"I-I'm fine…" She closed her eyes and breathed, trying to get the terrifying image out of her mind. "That comic used to be my aunt Blanca's favorite and when you showed it to us, I got emotional." She lied, counting the second time that day that she had lied to her friends.

She didn't have an aunt named Blanca, and if she did, she most certainly wouldn't have spent her time reading cheesy comics.

"Are you sure you're good to keep going?" Ruby asked, her eyes flickering between silver and blood red again.

Weiss suppressed a shiver, suddenly not trusting her surroundings, or even her teammates.

She felt something prick the back of her mind, sharp, but not intense, like the needle of a safety pin.

It pricked the back of her mind again, and instead of a flicker, her teammates permanently morphed into Grimm, their outfits and weapons looking as monstrous as…

Adam had when I fought him in Metropolis.

Weiss backed away, the memories coming back as the world started to crumble around her.

"What's wrong, Weiss? You look like you've seen a ghost." Yang repeated, her sinister smile revealing wicked fangs that could only belong to a Creature of Grimm.

Weiss' grip tightened on Myrtenaster, more and more memories flooding back to her as the world around them cracked and faded.

A loud boom cracked through the sky, creating fissures that revealed a black sky behind it, a blood red moon illuminating the world below it, eerily complete next to the shattered silver one that glowed stubbornly beside it.

Grimm Pools started to leak into the ground, followed by hordes of fresh Grimm that covered Mantle, staining the ground red with the blood of the Huntsmen and Huntresses that fought them.

 _This isn't real. This is a trap. I need to get back to Metropolis so I can get back to Remnant._

 _The **real** Remnant._

"I have." She growled, loading Light Dust into Myrtenaster. Her new combat outfit that her mother had spent so much time putting together shimmered and glittered, reverting back to her blue/gray combat skirt, her ponytail falling out of its braid and back into its long, curled state. "And I take comfort knowing that this is all a figment of my imagination."

With a grunt, she stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and created a Light Glyph underneath her, releasing an explosion of silver energy, blowing back the mutated versions of her team.

Summoning a Queen Lancer, she jumped on it and started flying to the silver moon in the sky, the only thing that hadn't changed when the world shattered around her.

Before she could make it to the portal created by the silver light, a Grimm arm with a scythe attached to it cut through her Queen Lancer, causing her to fall out of the sky and to the sea of Grimm that was forming underneath her.

She caught herself with a Gravity Glyph and used a Wind Glyph to create a tornado that blew the rest of the Grimm away, leaving her to face off her Grimmified teammates.

"You didn't think we would let you go that easily, did you?" Ruby asked, her gold eyes glinting murderously.

Yang cracked her Grimm arm's knuckle on the ground, leaving a small crater where it once was. "Nah, she just wants to have some fun. Isn't that right?"

Blake just stared at her, her maw most likely taking away her ability to speak.

Weiss created an Ice Glyph under each of them, not eager to fight all three of them at once. "I have no intention on finding out what you consider 'fun', so if it's all the same to you…"

She activated the Glyphs and froze them in glaciers of ice before they could rush at her, jumping back and away from them.

Black Glyphs with an eye emblem over them instead of the Schnee snowflake appeared on the ground in front of her as she ran away.

Weiss tried to stop, but before she could, the black Glyphs turned light blue, freezing the ground and sending her skidding across the battlefield.

A shadow sped across her field of vision, barely giving her enough time to propel herself off a Glyph and backflip onto her feet, barely dodging a black icicle that came from out of nowhere.

She stood up, Myrtenaster brandished as she scanned her surroundings.

Her Grimmified teammates were nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean that they weren't anywhere to be found.

The ice on the ground shattered and flew into the air as another black Glyph with an eye on it formed in midair, creating a mirror made out of ice, black ice mixing with it and acting as a border around it in the shape of a King Taijitu.

 _This isn't real, I know it isn't. Conner, the Titans, Damian, the Justice League , Metropolis, Martha and Lois, I can remember them all now, my time on Earth._

The mirror floated threateningly in front of her, as if trying to convince her otherwise.

 _Then why am I still here?_

Weiss looked at it closer, her image staring back at her like any normal mirror would.

That is until her eyes turned red.

Her reflection in the mirror shifted and muddled as the gray, white, and blue of her combat skirt blurred into black, blood red, and ivory.

Myrtenaster turned black and red as it enlarged, turning into a hybrid rapier and jousting lance, looking much too heavy for any normal person to wield one-handed.

Her Grimmified reflection resembled more of when she first arrived at Beacon- except this time with a wicked horn in the middle of her forehead, blackened hands with crimson claws clutching the mutated rapier that imitated her own.

Her combat skirt was black with a red tulle petticoats underneath, the sleeves puffed and also red on the inside, somewhat resembling her own from her first year at Beacon.

The only difference between Weiss and her reflection was their hair.

While Weiss' was offset and curled, her reflection had her ponytail centered and neatly tied together with a spiked tiara, bangs pulled back over the horn that erupted from her forehead.

"What kind of a mirror is this?"

Her reflection smirked and reached through the looking glass, wrapping her claws around Weiss' throat. "The kind that's made to hurt you."

"Wh-"

The reflection thrust her rapier into Weiss, sending her flying backwards into the ice covered battlefield.

Her reflection stepped out of the ice mirror. She swung her sword down, black ice starting to form at the tip as the red crystals in the hilt glowed.

"What are you?" Weiss asked, standing up and readying Myrtenaster once more.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip mockingly, in a fashion similar to what Weiss would've done.

"I'm you."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"What's wrong with her? Why isn't she waking up? What are those things?"

Conner gripped Weiss' bedside anxiously, not noticing the dents he was making in the metal until he felt it crumple in his grasp.

He stood anxiously at her bedside while Superman, Wonder Woman, Caitlin, and Cisco looked at charts and diagrams of Weiss' condition in the medical bay in S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Easy, Conner." Superman warned, looking down at the injured Huntress. "We don't want to cause her too much stress while she's dreaming."

"Dreaming? How do you know she's dreaming?" Conner asked, warily eyeing the disgusting plant creatures that had attached themselves to her hands.

A black mass of mutated roses and plant-like tendrils wrapped around Weiss' left wrist like a demented bracelet, while an identical red one wrapped around her right wrist. They squirmed and tightened around her as she slept, loosening every now and then whenever she grunted in her sleep.

Caitlin and Cisco brought up an analysis of the plants that were attached to Weiss on the monitor that was next to her bed.

"We've encountered these plants before. They're called Black Mercy, alien plants which lure their victims into euphoric dream states, essentially creating their perfect world in a dream." Caitlin explained.

"From there, they wait out the victim and absorb their life force slowly until…" Cisco trailed off, looking nervous as if Conner's steely gaze would actually produce lasers.

Conner's eyebrows creased, not liking what he was hearing. "What about the other one? It's red, not black."

Cisco drew in a breath and changed the image on the screen to the red variant. "The one on her right hand is a variant known as the Red Mercy, which basically does the exact opposite."

"So it'll show her her greatest fears?" Conner growled, wanting to pulverize the plants more every second.

"Theoretically. But we've only seen them work individually. We've never had a case of both the Red and the Black Mercy attaching themselves to the same victim." Caitlin explained.

A cold sweat ran down his back. "So she could be having the time of her life, or facing her greatest fears?"

Wonder Woman placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder, making sure to stay clear of the demonic plants. "The main purpose of the Mercies is to keep their victims dreaming. Most likely, the Black one will take effect first and if she manages to break free of it, the Red one will activate in order to keep her asleep or vice versa."

Panic started to course through Conner, his heart thumping in his chest. "How do we save her then?"

Superman shook his head and crossed his arms stoically. "You don't. If you try to forcibly remove them, the Mercies will strangle her and trap the next person."

Conner sat down in the chair by her bedside roughly, running a hand through his already messy hair. "How did this even happen in the first place? One moment she's beaten that cow jackass and the next, we're back at S.T.A.R. Labs and she's half dead with two stupid plants attached to her."

"There's only one person who's used these plants before, and he's long dead, so Darkseid must've planted these on her while you were incapacitated." Wonder Woman explained.

"And that means that whoever did it for him is still out there somewhere." Conner realized.

"Don't you dare." Caitlin warned, already knowing what he was planning. "Need I remind you that you were stabbed multiple times with a Kryptonite infused blade? Not to mention one that was loaded with Dust."

"Turns out that the stuff has a microscopic structure that's similar to Kryptonite and when introduced directly to the bloodstream…" Cisco trailed off, leaning over and flicking Conner in the abdomen.

"Ah!" He groaned, immense pain surging through his bandaged abdomen.

"So it looks like you're stuck here."

Wonder Woman smiled sympathetically. "Do not worry, we will find whoever did this to Weiss. For now, all you need to worry about is getting better."

"There has to be a way to help her. What about Martian Manhunter? Can't he get into her dreams?"

"He's away fixing up Metropolis and making sure that there aren't any Grimm left in the city. They don't have any souls or thoughts, so it's harder than we expected." Superman reminded.

Conner looked down at Weiss and at the scar that covered her left eye. He reminded himself that she was far stronger than she looked, and one of the smartest people that he knew.

If there's anyone who could outsmart her own dreams, it's the Ice Princess .

"Let's get you back to your own room and we'll let you know as soon as anything changes, alright?" Caitlin advised gently.

"Yeah…" He sighed. "I need some time to think."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 _ **A.N. And here it is! As everyone probably already guessed, Weiss was not somehow miraculously transported to Remnant, but in a dream sequence that has already took a turn for the worst.**_

 _ **Kudos to DarkHero12, by the way, for figuring out that it was the Black Mercy that was giving Weiss trouble. I loved the idea of the Black Mercy and the Red Mercy ever since I read about them when I was doing research for another villain that has yet to be seen in this story.**_

 _ **I'd also like to give a shoutout to Dishwasher1910 whose art helped inspire this chapter. Their art is phenomenal and I highly suggest you all check it out.**_

 _ **As always, thanks so much and**_ until next time!


	21. Nightmare

"Wow, sis. I knew that spending time with the lab rat would cost you a few brain cells, but I didn't expect you to be this slow." ' Snow' taunted, causing Weiss to tense up at the mention of Conner.

Weiss has thought that when she left home for the second time and made it back to Mistral that she had defeated her inner demons, but it seemed that her subconscious still had plenty of hurt to throw at her.

 _The mirror isn't done with me just yet and it seems Snow is its creation._

Giving her reflection the name ' Snow', a reference to her washed out white hair and skin, was comforting. It was a way to separate herself from the Creature of Grimm in front of her, to try and convince herself that it wasn't just a manifestation of herself and her inner darkness.

"Hmph. The only one who's slow here is you. I'm going to make it back to Earth and you are going back in that mirror where you belong." Weiss countered as she loaded Wind and Water Dust, making Myrtenaster glow sky blue, which shone even brighter in the light of the red moon. "Whether you like it or not."

Black ice erupted from the earth, causing fissures in the ground around Snow, reducing it to dust from the sheer size of the crystals.

Snow's grip tightened on her sword, a blizzard of black snowflakes swirling around her as her anger increased. "I won't go back in that mirror." The ice around her cracked, creating jagged edges which cracked off in the growing blizzard. "You can't make me!" She cried.

She stabbed her sword into the ground, sending a hailstorm of sharp ice crystals at Weiss, prompting her to erect a wall of ice from the ground to protect herself.

The ice wall held against the maelstrom of frozen fractals, but before Weiss could even sense her, Snow appeared behind her. With one slash, she sent Weiss through the ice wall and over a crater which was filled with icy stalagmites.

Before she could risk impaling herself with hundreds of ice spires, Weiss used a Gravity Glyph to draw herself upwards and jumped off it, redirecting the flow of gravity to increase her speed as she rushed at Snow.

Their swords clashed, but with the added weight from the Gravity Glyph, Snow was forced back, sending her crashing through some of her own icicles. The icicles ripped through her Grimmified flesh, tearing through and causing black smoke to billow from her.

Horrifyingly, she just smiled and stood up, ripping the icicles from her flesh and dropping them back on the ground. "I may not have an Aura like you humans do, or be able to use Dust, but being Grimm does have certain...perks. Isn't that right, girls?"

Weiss felt the air behind her shift and she loaded Fire Dust just in time to bring up Myrtenaster and block a punch from a giant Grimm arm, which was easily as big as she was.

Yang grinned, her sharp fangs glinting dangerously. "What? You didn't think we were going to be beaten so easily did you?"

A scythe came spinning towards Weiss from behind, forcing her to use a Glyph to backflip in the air, using Wind Dust to direct it around her and back at Ruby.

She caught it easily, despite the weapon being taller and heavier than its original form.

While Weiss was still in midair, a pair of smaller scythes attached to ribbon-like arms wrapped around her and slammed her down to the ground, tightening with unbearable strength.

Using Earth Dust, she erected sharp pillars of rock, cutting the thin ribbon that attached to the scythes, cutting them off with Myrtenaster after they were detached from Blake.

Blake didn't say anything to indicate that she had been in pain, staring at Weiss with unblinking eyes as she regrew the scythes.

"I remember when I was like you." Snow taunted, walking to the rest of her team. "Weak. Gullible. Human ." She spat the word with disdain.

"At first, we thought that we could achieve a miracle and defeat Salem. Beat the unkillable witch that had killed so many people in her quest to end her own suffering." Ruby explained, bringing tears to Weiss' eyes as she saw her partner standing before her, completely devoid of the brightness and light that she was used to. "The gods wronged Salem. They killed and resurrected the love of her life in front of her as if he was a toy. To make matters worse, they linked her life to Remnant so that as long as it exists, she lives."

"We saw her side of the story. Saw what she had to go through. I mean, you heard it too, right? _'So long as this world turns, you shall walk its face'_?" Yang added casually.

Weiss stepped back in horror, realizing what they were planning on doing.

 _The promise the gods made about coming back when all four Relics were gathered..._

She tried to keep the notion that this was all in her head, that the four standing before her were figments of her imagination.

But it feels so terrifyingly real.

"So by bringing the Relics together, the gods will come back to Remnant, see that it's in chaos, and destroy it? Is that her plan? To destroy Remnant so that she can finally die?"

Yang smirked and cracked her knuckles. "We promised ourselves that we would kill Salem, one way or the other. Looks like 'the other' was the right way to go."

Anger flared up in Weiss like she had never experienced before. She had no idea what was going on or why she was trapped in this nightmarish alternate dimension, but she knew that she wasn't going to leave until she was sure that these demented creatures weren't going to hurt anyone else.

"But we can't do that if we have the little Ice Princess running around and trying to save the day, now can we?" Snow taunted, black ice starting to creep up around her as she spoke.

"Weiss, Blake, Black Knight!" Ruby commanded, sending both into action.

Both Snow and Blake drove their weapons into the ground. Black ice covered the ground, coating Blake's arm scythes and making the tendrils hard and sharp as a steel blade.

Weiss used Glyphs to backflip away as the scythes came out from under her. She wasn't fast enough and one of the clipped her jaw, sending her tumbling and sliding across the icy ground.

"Yellow jacket!"

Before she could catch her breath, a giant fist came down on her from above. Casting a Time Dilation Glyph, Weiss jumped out of the way just seconds before Yang's fist could crush her.

"Frostbite!"

An ice covered scythe came spinning at her like helicopter blades as she jumped back, a blizzard of ice shards pelting her as it whirred towards her.

Tired of running, Weiss loaded Fire and Wind Dust and swung Myrtenaster in an arc, creating a tornado of fire around her that blew back Ruby's scythe and burned away Blake's scythes.

Using another Gravity Glyph, Weiss zoomed towards them and stabbed Myrtenaster in the ground, using an Ice Glyph to create sharp spires which erupted from the ground and circled around them.

Using her own Glyphs, Snow jumped over the wall of ice and attacked Weiss directly. Their swords crossed, but due to using a lot of Aura in the past day, Snow was able to push Weiss back and slam her backwards, sending her through a spire of black ice.

"Hmph, looks like the _Ice Princess_ really is the lesser half." Snow commented, destroying the wall of ice that Weiss had used to trap her teammates. "Of course, I wasn't expecting a challenge, but I just thought that since we were both _Schnees_ , our family name would mean something."

Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and pushed herself up with it. _"I'm more than a name."_

Snow scoffed. "Really? Because all I see is a disappointment."

A white light flashed from above, cutting a line between Weiss and Grimm RWBY, blowing them backwards from the intensity.

A girl floated down from the crack in the sky, her fiery red hair all too familiar. She wore the same blue cape, but instead of a white top and blue skirt, she wore a black long sleeve and black pants with the same red x going over her torso.

She was glowing bright silver now, bathed in the light of the moon, her own psychic powers mixing with it to create an ethereal effect.

An image of a monument in the secret grove hidden away in Mount Justice flashed in Weiss' mind. "Miss Martian? I thought-"

"I'm still in the coma, but when I felt your consciousness teeter on the edge of deep sleep and reality, I knew that I needed to step in." She explained, the silver light around her dying down as she moved and helped Weiss up.

She was beautiful, and moved with such grace and assurance that it was no surprise that Conner had fallen for her. Weiss couldn't help but feel insecure, but given the Creatures of Grimm that we're standing before them, she pushed it down.

"How do we get out of here?"

Miss Martian pointed at the Grimm Team RWBY, who unfortunately had been able to get back up after her entrance. "Those four are the ones responsible for keeping your consciousness trapped here. If we defeat them, you should wake up. Are you still okay to fight?"

Weiss loaded Light Dust and let it flow through Myrtenaster. "I'm insulted you would think otherwise."

Snow laughed dryly and readied her weapon, black ice starting to form around her. "Working with the competition? I thought we were smarter than that, sis."

Miss Martian simply smiled, placing a comforting hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Apparently, you're not as smart as you think you are if you think that I'm the jealous type. Conner and I- we had our chance. I've seen all the good that they've been doing and there's no way that I would put myself in the middle of that."

Weiss' face went bright red at the thought of Miss Martian knowing about her and Conner.

"How noble of you. Too bad you won't live long enough to make it back to your own body." Ruby growled before she leapt forward, her giant scythe ready to cut Miss Martian in half.

Miss Martian put her hands forward and blocked with a blade of green energy. "I've been trapped in my subconscious before, and after that experience, I have no intention of overstaying my welcome in Weiss'."

She pushed Ruby back only to get punched by Yang, sending her into the ruins of a nearby building.

Having heard of Miss Martian's powers, Weiss knew that it would take more than that to defeat her. She used a line of Glyphs to run towards Blake, dodging the smaller scythes that came at her from almost every direction.

A round of black kinetic energy came barreling at her, forcing her to backflip out of the way and switch to Wind Dust, using a vortex of wind to redirect the kinetic rounds to Blake.

They pelted her with such intensity that she was blown backwards and through a garage filled with rubble.

Yang came at her again, this time with her right arm the size of a normal human arm, covered by another gray shot gauntlet.

Weiss slashed at her, but Yang parried and forced her back with a punch, putting her on defense as she struggled to deal with her immense strength.

While they fought, Ruby's scythe came spinning towards Weiss. When she saw it coming out of the corner of her eye, Yang took the opportunity to grab Myrtenaster's tip and twist it behind Weiss, grabbing her right arm and effectively immobilizing her.

"Ah!"

Before the scythe could split her in half, it stopped a millimeter away from Weiss' face.

Miss Martian's eyebrows narrowed in concentration as she sent the scythe back in the opposite direction towards Ruby.

Ruby caught it, but it seemed that Miss Martian wasn't done as the scythe kept on spinning, throwing Ruby around like a rag doll until she let go and hit the ground with a hard thud.

Mixing Light Dust with Fire Dust, Weiss took the opportunity to loose an explosion of fire and light behind her, sending Yang reeling and herself flying forward.

She caught herself with a Glyph only for a Grimm tentacle to wrap around her waist and slam her to the ground and throw her up in the air again.

Before Blake could introduce Weiss' face to the ground again, she used a Gravity Glyph to catch herself and used an Ice Glyph to create a sword made of ice to cut the Grimm arm around her, sending it back to Blake.

Her arms reverted from tendrils to human arms, a black katana materializing in her hand before she swung it at the sword, reducing it to ice crystals.

Miss Martian stepped in and flew towards Blake, her arm shapeshifting into a katana which she used to fight her with, evenly matched as they exchanged blows.

Weiss looked around for Snow, noticing that while Ruby and Yang were still getting back up, her evil twin was nowhere to be found.

A hard blow to her side sent her tumbling forward, answering her question about where Snow had gone.

Giant icicles erupted from the ground and she tumbled forwards, prompting her to use a Glyph to push herself off the ground and flip onto her feet.

Weiss loaded Fire Dust and Light Dust and stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground, releasing a wave of fire all around her that melted the black ice, blowing Snow back in a flare of white fire.

 _"Weiss, watch out!"_ Miss Martian's voice echoed through her mind, alerting her a split second before Ruby came at her from behind.

Loading Light Dust and mixing it with an Ice Glyph, Weiss turned around and brought up a glacier filled with silver light with the intention of using it as a shield.

Ruby's scythe stopped about a foot away from Weiss' neck, the rest of her body impaled by the glowing ice. Her golden eyes glowed brightly for a second before they diminished, reverting to a dark shade of red as the light in her eyes went dim.

"Thanks, bestie."

Like any other Grimm, as the Light Dust reacted with her body, Ruby was reduced to ash and smoke. Weiss' eyes went wide and her heart stopped, the image of her best friend being reduced to dust playing in her mind over and over again.

"Ruby!" Snow cried out, black tears streaming down her face.

She coated her sword with black ice and used her black Glyphs to speed towards Weiss who had fallen to the ground in shock, Myrtenaster lying on the ground a few feet away.

"Weiss, we need to get out of here now. These creatures are not your friends. They're figments of your imagination." Miss Martian reminded, using a telekinetic blast to blow Yang and Blake away, using the chance to fly back to Weiss' side.

Before Snow could attack Weiss once more, Miss Martian flung her away with her telekinesis, buying the pair a little more time before they had to finish off the remaining Grimm.

She helped Weiss back up, the pair looking at the three Grimm that were coming their way. "They are figments of your imagination created by the Red Mercy, an alien plant from Earth's universe. The sooner we beat them, the sooner you can wake up and take on the real threat back on Earth."

An explosion of black fire and shadows came from the crater that Miss Martian had thrown Yang and Blake in, followed by more black ice erupting around them, creating a malicious ring around Weiss and Miss Martian.

"I-Is that fire?" Miss Martian hesitated as Yang and Blake joined Snow, both enveloped in an aura of shadow and black fire respectively.

"I call it hellfire." Yang responded, cracking her giant Grimm arm's knuckles. "And after what you did to my sister, I'll make sure you feel the heat."

"We need to defeat them. Now. " Miss Martian reiterated, a cold sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Of course." Weiss took in a deep breath as she prepared to fight once more. "They're only figments of my imagination, after all. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Snow laughed dryly, creating another black Glyph under her. _"You wish."_

She launched herself at Weiss, creating a trail of black ice behind her as they exchanged blows. Yang came soon after, her hellfire melting Snow and Weiss' ice, forcing Weiss to take a defensive stance as they both came at her with more fury and anger than ever.

Deciding that she needed some extra help, Weiss used a Summoning Glyph and brought forth a giant Boarbatusk which rammed into Snow, flinging her into the wall of ice that she had created.

Loading Water Dust, she created a Water Glyph which brought forth a powerful geyser that blasted Yang.

Taking a breath, Weiss loaded Light Dust and stabbed the ground, creating a giant Summoning Glyph in front of her.

A shimmering Queen Lancer appeared in front of her, glowing with the silver light of the damaged moon that hung over them, the celestial body starting to glow brighter than its red counterpart.

Yang and Snow had to shield their eyes, the shimmering light too much for their Grimmified eyes. Blake's shadows were burned away from the sheer light, her defenses falling as Miss Martian continued to attack.

With a powerful telekinetic blast, Miss Martian flung Blake into Snow and Yang, giving Weiss the chance to create an Ice Glyph mixed with Light Dust and trap them from the neck down in a block of Light Dust mixed with the ice extinguished Yang's hellfire and kept Snow and Blake from producing any shadows or Glyphs, leaving them exactly where Weiss wanted them.

The Queen Lancer hung over them, still glowing brightly in the light of the shining moon, patiently awaiting an order from its mistress.

"You'll never be rid of us." Snow sneered, tears streaming down her face. "You'll always look back in the mirror and see _me_. See _us_. See yourself for the true monster that you are."

"All hail the Ice Queen." Yang taunted. "Thaw the ice around her heart and all you'll find is nothingness."

Blake didn't say anything, instead giving Weiss a short nod, as if accepting her fate.

Miss Martian shook her head and smiled comfortingly at Weiss. "Don't listen to them. Let's get you home."

Weiss looked back at the Grimm standing before her and thought back to her friends back home.

 _I promise that I'll never let this happen to them. We'll never lose hope like they did._

With a small nod, the Queen Lancer flew towards the Grimm.

An explosion of silver light overtook Weiss' senses until she felt something move around her wrists and a faint voice speak over her.

"Weiss?"


	22. Wake-up Call

"That was a hell of a nap you took, Snowflake."

Weiss opened her eyes to see Black Canary a.k.a. Laurel Lance sitting in a chair next to her bedside, a magazine splayed casually over her lap and a cup of coffee at her side, dressed casually in black boots, black jeans, and a green hoodie that was fashionably oversized, most likely belonging to her husband.

Weiss looked outside and saw that the full moon was hanging in the sky, though due to the light pollution from the city, there weren't many stars visible. Her mind was muddled, still trying to sort through her memories from the past few days and separate those from her time in her dreams.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had gone back to Star City with Oliver, Connor, and Damian." Realizing that her comment might be considered rude, Weiss quickly added, "Not that it's not great to see you, but Metropolis and Star City are rather far from each other, right?"

"Damian and Connor won't admit it, but they were worried sick when we heard that you had been attacked by the Mercies. The boys and the rest of the Titans are all in the sleeping quarters waiting for you. And I admit..." Laurel flipped through the last pages, setting the magazine aside after she had skimmed through it. "I've grown fond of you in the time that we've known each other."

A warm feeling spread through Weiss, making her feel cozy inside. "I've grown fond of you, too." Still feeling discombobulated from the dreams/nightmares, she asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"You've been out for a few days now. Clark says that it's the first time that two of those plants have attached to the same person and that most people can't even survive one. You've caught the attention of some pretty powerful people Snowflake, and not just from the Justice League."

Weiss pressed a hand to her forehead, remembering the hell that she had gone through while she was dreaming. "I didn't do it alone- Miss Martian helped me fight my way back."

The cup of coffee that Laurel had been holding in her hand fell to the floor, clattering as it luckily had been mostly finished.

She gripped the bedside tightly, her knuckles going white as she kept her gaze to the ground. "Weiss, I know that those plants can make you see crazy things, but are you _absolutely positive_ that you saw her?"

Weiss was taken aback by the desperation in her tone. In her time with the famous Black Canary, she had never seen her calm and cool facade break, but then again, she remembered that she was one of the League members in charge of training for their old team.

"Unless she was a figment of my imagination like the rest of the world…" Weiss began to doubt herself until she remembered where she had seen Miss Martian before she met her in her dreams. "But the only time I've ever seen Miss Martian before is when I went into the Grotto, and her outfit and her hair were different. Her hair was shorter than in the hologram, and she wore black pants and a black top, not a blue skirt and a white top. I couldn't have just made that up, right?"

Laurel looked out the window, staring at the moon blankly. "I'm going to go check with J'onn. With his powers, he should be able to check for anyone else's presence in your mind besides your own."

Heavy footsteps echoed down the empty hall, bringing a smile to Laurel's, though it didn't reach her eyes. "And now I don't have to worry about leaving you alone."

She stepped to the side just as the door slammed open, making the hinges creak and leaving a sizable dent where the doorknob had hit the wall.

"Is she awake? Is she alright? I thought I heard her voice!" Conner questioner, now dressed in

His eyes landed on her face and instantly his panicked expression calmed down, his eyes softening. He pulled her into a warm bear hug that enveloped her in a warm feeling of security and comfort. "How are you doing, Weiss?" He asked, his voice nearly a whisper.

Weiss smiled softly before she felt a burning sensation around her wrists, noticing the angry red marks covering them. "Considering I was almost turned into fertilizer by a pair of alien plants, not terrible. Though I do wish their grip on me wasn't so tight." She responded, gingerly pulling him closer while avoiding contact with her wrists. She tried to activate her Aura to heal it, but found that she was completely depleted.

 _The Mercies must have absorbed it while I was asleep._

"You gave Superboy here quite the scare, Snowflake. He was by your side for three days before we managed to get him to sleep." Laurel informed, grinning mischievously.

Conner's concerned gaze was immediately replaced by an annoyed glare pointed at the grinning heroine, a pink blush dusting over his cheeks. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?

"I see…" She pretended to ponder. "You just want some alone time with our dear Snowflake here. You could've said so, Superboy."

"But-"

"I'll get out of your hair now." She winked at Weiss. "But don't get too carried away because I'll be back in the morning with an update on our…" Laurel paused, thinking better than to divulge such sensitive information just yet. "Findings."

"What findings?" Conner asked, trying to shift the subject off of him.

"Nothing." Weiss responded quickly.

"Nothing _you_ should concern yourself with, at least." Laurel supplemented, placing a hand on the doorknob.

Weiss felt bad for keeping the secret from Conner, but Laurel was right to suspect that Miss Martian might have been a figment of her imagination.

It would be a bad idea to say anything while they weren't sure.

"I'll see you two in the morning. Sweet dreams." She grinned mischievously, shutting the door behind her before Conner could ask her any more questions.

He huffed as he looked at the door, turning his attention back to Weiss after he was sure that the fighter was out of earshot. "You sure you're feeling okay? Those plants...they make you see some crazy shit."

Weiss thought back to her father and her mother actually being able to sit at the dinner table together.

 _No kidding._

Conner scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to fight the surge of blood going to his face. "Do you wanna… talk about it?"

Weiss smiled at his awkwardness but thought it best to avoid talking about her dreams. "That's very thoughtful of you, but I don't think I want to unpack any of that just yet."

His face instantly turned pink and he backed up abruptly, nearly knocking down the chair that was behind him.

Weiss laughed inwardly, knowing that she had hurt his pride, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Yeah, I'll see you in the mor-"

"But I would like to hear of your adventures when you were still in training. Laurel told me a little of what you were like when you first started training, but I wanted to hear it from you too."

His pink blush turned to an annoyed red, knowing that Laurel had probably told Weiss the many times that she wiped the floor with him when they were training.

"Don't listen to anything Canary says. She makes me sound dumber than I was when I first started."

Weiss laughed. "Dumber? Considering you missed Metropolis by an entire city on our way here, I think the bar is set pretty high."

"You're the one who said we should travel at night!"

"Well then I'd like for you to try and explain to the Justice League why we spent the night in jail after nearly destroying the Kansas State Fair."

"The cops wouldn't have been able to catch us." He defended, a small smile forming.

"Well, considering we ended up in Gotham instead of Metropolis, I don't think that would have been the case."

Conner sighed, knowing that try to argue with Weiss was like trying to get out of a maze with your legs tied together while also being blindfolded.

"Do you want me to tell you bedtime stories, or not?"

Grinning victoriously, Weiss used what little Aura she had regained to use a Glyph to bring a chair next to her bedside.

"Tell me what it was like when you woke up in the laboratory for the first time."

❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️

When Weiss woke up for the second time that night, she felt a rather heavy weight on her lap, one that could only belong to the hard-headed hero who had been traveling with her for the past month.

He was smiling peacefully as he slept, his hair unruly from all the times that he had run his hand through it while waiting for Weiss to wake up.

Her eyes softened and she combed her fingers through his soft hair, smoothing through the thick strands that had clumped together.

The clock on the nightstand read 7:00 a.m. in bright green. It was early, but after being asleep for so long, Weiss felt that she needed some reprieve.

She could feel something in the back of her mind, guiding her to where she needed to go. No doubt she would otherwise get lost in the vast maze that was Mount Justice.

Grabbing one of the pillows from behind her, she placed it under Conner's head as she moved him from her lap, slowly sliding out of bed until she was sure that he would stay as asleep.

 _For someone with super senses, he's certainly a heavy sleeper._

Grateful that she was still in her combat skirt rather than a hospital gown, she pulled on her heels, hooked Myrtenaster to her side, and set out.

The empty hallways echoed with the clicks of her heels, but as she felt the presence in the back of her mind pull her towards the elevator, she knew where she was going- who she was meeting.

She entered the elevator and without pressing any sort of button, it started moving, going up for a seemingly endless amount of time before the doors opened, revealing a different kind of sick bay. One of the doors in the first hallway was left ajar, prompting Weiss to push it open gently, the automatic lights illuminating the room until she saw who- _what_ was currently residing there.

A giant pink and white creature lay in the bed, completely motionless. It had long arms and legs, claws, paper-thin skin which revealed thick veins running all over it, and a hunched back, forming a grotesque figure that betrayed the image of the kind girl that Weiss had seen in her dreams.

 **"Don't be alarmed, Weiss. I don't normally look like this."**

Alarmed was an understatement for what she was feeling but she tried to keep her composure. "I almost didn't recognize you. Is that's a different shade of eyeshadow?" Weiss joked nervously, though seeing Miss Martian in such a monstrous form still made her stomach churn.

 **"Don't worry, people are usually put off the first time they see my White Martian form, you shouldn't feel bad."**

Weiss thought about lying and saying that she hadn't, but the girl before her could read minds, so saying otherwise would be fruitless.

"I'm sorry, it's just-" She stammered trying and failing to explain herself eloquently. "I'm still getting used to the idea that there are more sentient life forms in the universe than just human or human-adjacent."

 **"Way more."** Miss Martian agreed. **"But that isn't what I called you here to talk about."**

Weiss felt herself straighten her posture and folded her hands in front of her despite the fact that Miss Martian probably couldn't see her.

"Miss Martian-"

 **"Please, call me M'gann. Miss Martian is just a title, one that I'm going to outgrow pretty soon."**

"F-fine, M'gann." Weiss ground out, not used to addressing someone she wasn't close with informally. "Why are you still asleep?"

M'gann was able to break Weiss out of her nightmares and was strong enough to call her up to her room to speak, but it didn't seem right that she was still confined to her comatose state.

Guilt started to swell up in Weiss, but she pushed it down, not wanting to fall victim to Survivor's Guilt just yet.

 **"...My body's still too weak to wake up completely. I've tried for months to wake up, but until recently, I've only been strong enough to talk to J'onn."**

"And you just used up all of the strength you had regained to wake me up." Weiss realized, mortified that M'gann had to sacrifice so much for someone she barely knew.

"Don't feel guilty, Weiss." M'gann tried to soothe.

 _Too late._

 **"I don't regret it in the slightest. You've done so much for Earth and its people and you're not even from this dimension."**

"It's my duty as a Huntress to help people who are in need any way that I can. The title may not mean much here, but I want to uphold it the best I can." Weiss admitted.

 **"That's why we need you- why I chose to save you at the cost of being able to wake up. You're a true hero through and through, and if anyone is going to be able to help us beat Darkseid once and for all, it'll be you."**

Seeing as Darkseid had the ability to rearrange people's molecular structures and rip them apart atom by atom, Weiss didn't think so.

 **"You were brought to this dimension for a reason, I just know it."**

Wanting to move on to a topic that didn't concern her facing off against an interdimensional warlord, Weiss asked, "How are you able to communicate with me? The last time J'onn even used his powers near me, my Aura, a manifestation of my soul, protected me from them."

 **"That I don't know. It might be due to the fact that I'm a White Martian and he's a Green Martian. Or maybe it's that I'm an empath and he's a telepath, though I don't sense any type of energy shield around you, so maybe it's because you exhausted your Aura while you were fighting off the Mercies."**

Weiss felt that her Aura was still rather drained, but something felt different about M'gann's powers that she couldn't put her finger on.

"One last question." Weiss knew that Superboy was bound to wake up eventually, and with his super-senses and super-worrying, she had no doubt that he would find her with ease. "Darkseid. The Justice League and the Titans have all told me about him, but how powerful is he, really?"

M'gann stayed silent, making Weiss wish that she was the one with the ability to read minds.

 **"Darkseid's power is...incomprehensible. He's a god who seeks complete domination of the universe- in every sense of the word."**

"Then how am I supposed to be any help in fighting him? I may have powers compared to the ordinary human, but it's still nothing compared to what people like Wonder Woman and Superman can do."

 **"Honestly? I don't know."** She trailed off, making Weiss' own confidence plummet. **"But what I do know is that you were brought here for a reason. There are beings out there who are just as powerful as Darkseid, working to fight against him. Your appearance in this dimension wasn't a coincidence or an accident, and I believe that someone thought that you would be needed to stop Darkseid for good."**

Skeptical of the idea, Weiss asked, "And do you have any idea as to whom that would be?"

 **"No, but I can't ignore my intuition. I've spoken with J'onn and he agrees with me; coincidences are hard to come by in this world."**

"But-"

 **"You should get going. From what I can sense, Laurel is starting to make her way back to your room and Conner should be waking up any minute."**

"Of course." Weiss hesitated. "But what should I tell them?"

 **"...Tell them not to worry about me. I'm recovering and I'll be back on my feet sooner than they think."**

Weiss nodded and walked over to the door. She put her hand on it, but didn't push it open, keeping her eyes on the silver bar. "Please, from now on, focus on recovering. There are a lot of people who are waiting for you to get better and that won't happen if you keep coming to the rescue." She pushed the door open and walked through it. "This princess can be enough of a hero for the both of us."

M'gann laughed lightly, no doubt smiling in her mind. **"I'll hold you to that."**

❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️

"She's awake?"

Weiss looked down at her lap, knowing that the revelation would be a lot to take in for Conner.

"Somewhat. Her body is still comatose but her mind is awake, and she's been using her powers to help us in our time in Metropolis, namely helping me fight off the Mercies."

Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Laurel, and Conner stood in Weiss' room, mostly surprised at what she had just revealed.

"J'onn, did you know about this?" Superman asked, trying with all his (considerable) might not to look at Conner.

"I did. I thought that information regarding M'gann's condition was better left kept quiet until we were certain she would be able to recover. Though now…" Martian Manhunter's red eyes bore into Weiss like lasers. "That is uncertain."

"M'gann made her choice, J'onn, you need to respect it. She's a hero- don't tell me you expected her to do anything else after being trapped in her own mind for months." Laurel bit back.

"Her _choice_ could result in being permanently comatose."

Silence.

The only thing that could be heard was the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

"In any case, we should be grateful that they are both still alive. After all, the culprit responsible for both of their attacks is not one to be taken lightly."

Conner looked up from his lap, his steely eyes glinting with something Weiss hadn't seen before. "I thought you killed her."

"Darkseid has the capability to re-animate-"

"-You threw her into the _sun_."

Wonder Woman held up her hands in an effort to placate him. "Darkseid's powers are vast. I have no doubt that he would be able to resurrect her in order to plant the Mercies on Weiss while you two were incapacitated."

"He must be getting desperate if he was willing to bring her back." Superman added. "No sane person would loose that creature onto the world again."

"What are you talking about? Are you saying the person who made M'gann go comatose is the same one who put the Mercies on me?" Weiss asked, her eyes flickering to the shriveled up plants that lay in special containment units across the room.

"I sensed a Martian's powers when I was fighting against one of those Creatures in the harbor. I initially wrote it off as M'gann, but further inspection revealed it to be a Green Martian." Martian Manhunter explained.

"We're planning on heading back in the evening to investigate LexCorp to make sure. If D'Kay D'Razz is back on Earth, we need to be ready." Laurel added, bringing up a projection of a decrepit looking Green Martian, one that looked like it belonged in one of Ruby's comics.

Weiss and Conner stood up simultaneously. "When do we leave?"

Martian Manhunter scoffed but Wonder Woman just smiled, knowing that the young heroes would be stubborn despite having their fair share of injuries. "I commend your bravery, but it is best for you to rest and let the Justice League handle the situation."

Conner shook his head. "No way. If anyone should take care of that psychopath it should be-"

Knowing that he lacked any sense of tact, Weiss interjected, "-With all due respect, we didn't even have the chance to fight her off the first time. We deserve to see to it that she's put behind bars."

Superman shook his head. "Like Wonder Woman said, you two are still recovering, and besides, it's not a good idea for Conner to go anywhere near Lex."

"The hell it is. I don't care where it is, I need to be there." He bit back, standing up to his full height to look Superman in the eye.

Weiss knew that this mission was personal for Conner, but she didn't think that he would stand against Superman himself. "Look, we only want to help, after all, isn't that what heroes do?"

Superman and Martian Manhunter looked at Wonder Woman, making her smirk. "Well, she isn't wrong."

Superman sighed and massaged his temples. "Sorry, you two, but the answer's still no. It's too risky."

"But-"

"But nothing. We'll lock the entire building down if we have to, but your main priority for the next week is to recover. Are we clear?"

Conner scoffed and plopped into the chair next to Weiss' bed. "Crystal."

️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️

"Do you think they caught her already?"

Conner asked as he paced around the room, his hands shoved into his pockets to keep from breaking anything.

Zwei, who Kid Flash has recently returned Weiss in order to cheer her up from their recent house arrest, sat in her lap, his head turning to follow Conner as he walked back and forth.

Weiss pet his head and scratched behind his ear, using the small movement to distract herself from her own paranoia. "I'm sure they've already apprehended her. After all, they _are_ the Justice League."

Conner shook his head, finally stopping to kneel in front of Weiss, patting Zwei in an attempt to calm himself down as well. "D'Kay's a Green Martian, meaning she's got all the same powers as J'onn, plus anything else that Darkseid's given her to make her more powerful."

"Green Martians...their powers are comparable to Kryptonians right? Super speed, super strength, flight, invulnerability…" Weiss trailed off, trying to remember everything that she had read while bedridden for the past few days.

He gazed up at her, a determined look in his cobalt eyes. "And telepathy. _Especially_ telepathy. She's strong enough to match J'onn's powers and with her mind being as stable as a bag of marbles, she's dangerous."

"-Which is exactly why we're all going to be chilling in the lounge and watching ' _Return of the Zombie Martians_ ' while we wait for them to get back. Justice League said that we should get some r & r after the attack on Metropolis and I'm not gonna argue with them. " Beast Boy popped in the doorway, Raven standing next to him, casting a shadow that seemed darker than it should've been for the lighting that they were in.

"There's also popcorn." She added, a bag of popcorn that was enveloped in black energy floating next to her.

Conner narrowed his eyes. "No way-"

"-We would pass up the opportunity!" Weiss finished for him, giving him an icy look that left no room for discussion.

"Why would I want to-"

The icy glare continued.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, making Weiss smile victoriously. "...We'll be down in a minute."

Beast Boy snickered, looking between Weiss and Conner. "Hehe, look who's already whip-"

He was cut off by Raven using her powers to phase through the floor down to the lower levels, already tired of his antics. "I'm leaving."

"Raven, wait for me!" He cried as he turned into an ostrich and ran down to the elevator.

Conner watched him run before turning to Weiss, the same annoyed look on his face, except this time with amusement in his eyes. "I still don't know why you tolerate them."

"Probably because I don't want you to be literally the only friend I have on this planet." Weiss responded, hooking Myrtenaster to her side.

Conner pretended to consider the thought. "Fair point."

"Now let's go. After all, sitting and waiting around for the Justice League to return isn't going to make time go by any faster."

"Can't believe the most exciting thing we'll do today is watch some dumb movie."

❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️


	23. Infiltration

The second she got a pounding headache, Weiss should've realized that something was wrong.

She initially wrote it off as the result of watching a four hour long movie in an otherwise pitch black room, but the return of the Justice League should have tipped her off.

The rest of the Titans, plus Damian, Connor, and Conner all sat around her in a makeshift movie theater that they had created with a white sheet, a projector, and various pillows and blankets which they had pilfered from the building.

 _Attack of the Zombie Aliens IV: Revenge of the Face Snatchers_ was playing when the Justice League had arrived, accompanied by the pinging of the tablets that were next to the doors.

"Turn on the security feed." Conner ordered, leaving an annoyed Robin to change the channel on the projector.

Sure enough, the Justice League was seen teleporting in through the Zeta Tubes, a malformed, green creature in tow behind them, wearing special handcuffs to suppress its powers.

D'Kay D'Razz resembled a decrepit, amorphous mass of green that clung desperately to a thin skeleton. She had blood red eyes that lacked any distinction between the iris and the sclera, so haunted and angry they could melt steel.

"Yeesh." Beast Boy shivered, breaking the silence. "Now I know why her name's D'Kay. It looks like her skin's about to fall off."

"Green Martians' bodies are in tune with their minds. Since she's about as mentally stable as a bag of cats, it reflects on her appearance too." Jinx explained, a grimace on her face as she watched.

It seemed that the Justice League felt the same way as none of them dared to touch her, leaving Superman to use telekinesis to push the grinning Martian along.

Oddly enough, Martian Manhunter was missing from the group. It seemed strange to Weiss that he wouldn't be there to put away the creature that put his protégé in a coma, but didn't question it as it was likely that he had gone to check up on M'gann as well.

The moment that they stepped out of the room and into the halls, Weiss felt her head start to ache, as if someone had gotten a vice and started tightening it around her brain. She grit her teeth as she tried to ignore it, the scene unfolding before her more important than a simple headache.

Eventually, they made it down to the holding cells which were completely empty, most likely having been cleared of any other ne'er-do-wells due to the nature of her powers.

Weiss shifted uncomfortably as they put D'Kay behind bars.

 _Something just doesn't seem right._

The entire process was strangely...eerie to watch. Despite having been defeated and taken into custody, D'Kay's eerie grin hadn't changed one bit.

Weiss' head ached as she tried to figure out what was wrong with what they were seeing. Her eyes flickered to the Justice League, looking for any indication that things were fine and she was just overreacting.

She took in a sharp breath and stepped back in horror when she looked at their eyes, seeing that their eyes had rolled to the back of their heads, completely white as they turned their eyes to the camera that was recording them.

The recording flickered and Weiss felt another wave of pain pound at her head, her Aura barely able to fight off whatever was trying to take control.

"Ah!" Jinx and Raven clutched their heads as the rest of the Titans fell to the ground, knocked unconscious by the wave of telepathic energy that came over them.

"It's D'Kay!" Raven grit out, dark energy swirling around her as she fought off the Green Martian's powers.

"We've got to get out of here!" Jinx reminded, looking back at the security feed.

"If the Justice League is under her control, then that means that everyone else is at risk too. We can't be here when they wake up." Weiss warned, running over to the exit.

When the doors didn't open automatically, panic struck her. "They're locked!"

Raven closed her eyes and put her hand forward, black energy enveloping the doors until they were forced open. "Go!"

Jinx and Weiss ran through with Raven right behind them, forcing the doors shut as soon as they were through.

"How long do you think until they wake up?" Weiss asked, feeling sick from both the headache and the thought of fighting against her friends.

A bat-shaped shuriken whizzed by and embedded itself in wall, an inch away from Raven's face. "I think they're the least of our worries right now."

Confirming Weiss' fears, Batman and Black Canary was stood across the hallway, looking menacing and incredibly creepy with their eyes completely white and glazed over.

Loading Wind Dust, Weiss created Wind Glyphs which combined with Jinx's hexes, creating a vortex of purple and green wind, blowing back the mind-controlled heroes into the elevator behind them.

Black energy forced the elevator doors closed, sending the elevator plummeting down to the lowest floor, crushing the metal and preventing anyone else from opening it up again.

"How was she able to do this?" Weiss questioned as they ran through the halls. "I thought that Martian Manhunter had beaten her before."

"That was before Darkseid boosted her powers. My guess is that she managed to control the rest of the Justice League with her powers and turned them on Martian Manhunter." Raven explained, using her powers to sense any other Auras in their vicinity.

"If Martian Manhunter of all people couldn't beat her, then how can we stand any chance? She's got the _Justice League_ under her control."

"Not to mention Conner, Damian, Connor, and the rest of the Titans too." Weiss added.

They each kept their guard up as they walked into the training hall, intent on using a Zeta Beam to escape the facility without having to face any more of their comrades.

Raven used her powers to force the doors closed and pile scraps of metal over it while Weiss used Fire Dust to weld everything together, using Water Dust to cool it down quickly and cement everything together.

"We need to get backup from other people who are resistant to her powers and find Martian Manhunter. No doubt D'Kay has him captive somewhere with how obsessed she is with him." Jinx advised, walking over to the control panel and trying to figure out a way to set the coordinates for where they needed to go. "We need to regroup and come back with reinforcements."

Raven tensed, sensing multiple Auras coming their way.

"Jinx, hurry it up with the Zeta Beam, we've got company."

"It's not working! I think she got Cyborg to hack into Mount Justice's security network."

A loud bang erupted from the other side of the door, followed by an explosion. "Who is it this time?" Weiss asked, fearing it was a member of the Justice League.

Raven closed her eyes and cast her senses beyond the door. "Robin and Starfire."

"You guys hold them off for as long as you can, maybe even snap them out of it if possible. I'm going to use my powers to try and fry the system and hopefully find a way out of here."

Another explosion rocked against the door. "I'll take Starfire, you take Robin." Raven stated, black energy swirling around her as she prepared herself.

Weiss readied Myrtenaster and corrected her stance, knowing that Robin was a formidable foe, despite not having any extraordinary powers himself.

More explosions and energy surged from the other side of the doorway until the doors that had been welded shut flew open, clanging against the walls, Starfire and Robin charging in not a second later.

The pair came at them in a fury, every shred of their sense of self lost to D'Kay's mind control.

Starfire shot starbolt after starbolt at them, prompting Weiss and Raven to jump in opposite directions, causing Robin and Starfire to split up as they had originally planned.

Robin threw a pair of R-shaped ninja stars which Weiss was barely able to block. Upon contact, they released a blast of liquid nitrogen, freezing the right half of her body under a thick sheet of ice.

Weiss huffed as she loaded Fire Dust into Myrtenaster.

 _So this is how it feels._

Before Robin could take advantage of her immobilized state, Weiss created a Fire Glyph and let loose an explosion which blew both of them back, melting the ice that had trapped her.

He extended his bo staff, swinging it at her with speed and dexterity that Weiss hadn't seen since the last time she sparred with Sun.

Luckily, Robin's bo staff didn't seem to have the capability to change into a pair of nunchucks or shoot kinetic rounds, but as he slammed it into Weiss' side and sent her flying into the wall, she realized that it still hurt plenty.

A flash of green light came flying her way and her eyes widened, managing to duck a split second before one of Starfire's starbolts were able to disintegrate her, their aerial battle destroying the cave around them.

Starfire launched multiple starbolts at Raven, which she managed to deflect with a wall of black energy before retaliating with her own beam of magic. Starfire was overtaken by the intensity of it and sent flying backwards.

Weiss pulled herself back up just as Robin came at her again, bringing up Myrtenaster just in time to block, retaliating with quick jabs, pushing him back until she was no longer trapped against the wall.

He jabbed the staff towards her stomach which she quickly deflected, sparks flying as they slid past each other, Robin quickly turning and directing another attack to Weiss' back, barely giving her enough time to block again and slash an arc at him, using a Gravity Glyph to make him weigh less and send him flying into the air and into Starfire.

Loading Hard Light Dust, Weiss created an energy field around the both of them to keep them contained, though Starfire's immense strength made it difficult to keep up.

"Jinx, if you could hurry it up-" Starfire shot green lasers out of her eyes and Robin started to wail on the barrier with his bo staff, making Weiss grit her teeth as pain seared through her head. "-that would be lovely. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold them."

Raven closed her eyes and a raven-shaped shadow with glowing eyes emerged from her and wrapped around the barrier, giving Weiss some space to breathe.

"Just one more second…" Jinx grunted before she sent a wave of magic through the control panel, making it release a burst of electricity, electrocuting her as she turned the Zeta Beams on.

The tubes glowed as they were charged with power, turning on as the barrier around Robin and Starfire cracked under their combined power.

Using an exorbitant amount of will, Weiss created propulsion Glyphs under herself, Jinx, and Raven and sent them into the Zeta Beams. A wave of nausea came over her as their molecules were scrambled and sent to wherever Jinx had directed the Beam.

When Weiss opened her eyes, she was sprawled on surprisingly soft grass, surrounded by a peaceful meadow which was in the middle of a forest, a clear stream cutting through it. The full moon hung overhead, casting a soft silver glow over the meadow.

She sat up and looked around, panic coursing through her as she realized that Jinx and Raven were nowhere to be found and that Myrtenaster was nowhere in sight.

"Where am I?"

Weiss stood up and looked around, noticing a glint of silver in the stream that flowed across the meadow. She ran over and when she saw Myrtenaster lying at the bottom, sighed in relief.

When she picked it up out of the water, she looked across the stream and saw a patch of dying, white flowers in the middle of the rest of the dense, lush forest.

With the stream so close, it was odd that just that patch of flowers was dead, until Weiss realized that the reason that they were dying was most likely because the thick forest was blocking out any light from landing on the flowers.

She didn't know what compelled her to do it, but with a simple flick of Myrtenaster and some Gravity Dust, Weiss pulled the leaves and branches off of the trees that towered over the flowers, allowing the moonlight to hit them, illuminating them in its silver glow.

Almost instantly, the flowers perked up and grew taller, as if reaching towards the moon and its light.

As soon as she did, the wind picked up around her and the trees started to glow a strange green light. It seemed as if the trees were whispering, the leaves rustling so loudly that it was almost unbearable. Weiss was about to load Wind Dust to put a stop to it, but before she could, everything went silent again.

 **"So they were right. She does carry the spirit of life inside her."**

The voice came from inside her head somehow, reminding her of M'gann's powers, though she knew that this was another person, or entity, entirely.

"Who's there?" She asked, loading Light Dust into Myrtenaster, using the silver glow it cast to see better into the forest. "If you're D'Kay, I promise that after what you did to my friends you'll wish that you had let the Justice League put you away."

 **"Calm, child, I am not your enemy. That vile creature still presides over Mount Justice."**

"Then who are you?" Realizing that she still had no idea where she was, she proceeded to ask, "And where am I?"

The trees around her grew and extended, their leaves, branches, and vines coming together in the middle of the clearing to form the silhouette of a person. As the trees came together to form some sort of plant-person, the white flowers that Weiss had saved floated from off the ground and onto the plant-person, forming a tiara.

 **"I am The Green, source of all plant life on Earth. I am a part of Earth's Parliament, the rulers of nature and its wrath, and one of Earth's last defenses against extinction level invaders."**

"Darkseid." Weiss concluded, knowing that this primordial god wouldn't be speaking with her for any other reason. "You're going to help in the fight against Darkseid?"

 **"Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. This state is merely an illusion, a construct of your mind. I simply stepped in at the behest of a being much more powerful than I, and managed to convince my cohort, The Red, to spare the lives of you and your friends."** The sound of creaking wood filled Weiss' mind, making her realize that the The Green was laughing. **"It amuses me how humans will risk their lives without the slightest thought of their own well-being. If The Red had not assisted you, your molecules would have been ripped apart and scattered across the universe, resulting in an extremely painful death."**

Trying not to dwell on the thought too much, Weiss asked, "And The Red is…?"

 **"The embodiment of all animal life on Earth. The Red presides over the likes of you humans, animals, and every other being on Earth that is multicellular and not of plant origin."**

Weiss thought back to what M'gann had told her when they spoke last. She had mentioned powerful beings, with power to rival Darkseid's fighting against him from behind the scenes. It was clear that this Parliament of Earth was part of that group, but if The Green's words were anything to go by, there was someone -something else more powerful. "And who is this being that requested such a favor from you? I assume that's not something a being of your power does often."

 **"They do not wish to reveal themselves to you as of yet, and nor will you ever find out without their permission."**

"But-"

 **"If you wish to return to your dimension, continue as you are and make sure that you and your powers do not fall into Darkseid's clutches. He has already made contact with your dimension, but if he were to enter completely…"**

One of the white flowers in The Green's tiara wilted and fell to the ground, fading into white dust which scattered in the wind. **"...It would fall to ruin."**

Weiss thought back to Adam's words about the state of Remnant. At the time, she refused to believe that Atlas had fallen, but now the thought scared her even more. "How do we stop him?"

The Green shook their head. **"Your main concern right now is to return to Mount Justice and defeat that creature. I recommend you proceed with haste, as the same insanity that has befallen D'Kay will permanently alter their minds as well."**

Weiss huffed.

 _Easier said than done._

"And how do you propose I do that? I have no idea where Raven and Jinx are, and even if we did make it back, how are we supposed to fight against the Titans and the Justice League?"

 **"I have enlisted one of my followers to assist you in the fight. The nature of her powers allows her to resist D'Kay's own, and she has fought against the Justice League many times."**

A pair of trees grew in front of The Green, contorting themselves to create an arch which glowed with energy. Weiss shielded her eyes from the blinding light, eventually looking up to see a beautiful red haired woman standing before her, clad in a skin-tight green leotard with live ivy vines covering her body, green thigh high, high heeled boots adorning her legs, also covered in ivy vines.

She flipped her hair, her green eyes sparkling mischievously. "Well, aren't you the most darling snowdrop I've ever seen?" She held out her hand, fingernails perfectly manicured and bright red, reminding Weiss of blood. "The name's Poison Ivy, charmed."


	24. Sacrifice

"There's no way in hell I'd ever willingly give you Kryptonite, Poison Ivy."

The villainess pouted and placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, come now darling, after bringing you Little Miss Snowdrop and the Titanesses, don't you think I've earned a little goodwill?"

Caitlin crossed her arms, frost starting to spread under her feet. "The last time that you showed up in Metropolis, the Superman Museum ended up covered in ivy vines and the museum director was found hanging from the ceiling in just her underwear."

Weiss looked at Jinx, to which she just rolled her eyes in a way that clearly meant _don't ask._

Poison Ivy sighed wistfully, as if recalling a fond memory. "Ah, what a night..."

An ivy vine grew upwards from her dress and flicked itself in front of her face, snapping her out of her reverie. "But we should let bygones be bygones shouldn't we? After all, The Green entrusted their safety, and the defeat of that decrepit Martian, in my hands." The vine turned towards her and curled up at the end, almost as if it were angry. "Sorry, in my _vines_."

Before Caitlin could retort, Weiss interjected, "Conner and Superman are still under D'Kay's control, and defeating them without it will be next to impossible. You said that Dust and Kryptonite have a similar composition, right? Maybe I could hold onto it instead."

S.T.A.R. Labs went silent, save for the random beeps and noises that came from the computers and machines that surrounded them.

Caitlin pursed her lips and looked at the safe that was down the hall, not at all thrilled with the idea of the likes of Poison Ivy having anything to do with saving the Justice League and the Titans. "I think I have a vial of Kryptonite that might fit in one of your Dust chambers for safekeeping. Give me one second."

Poison Ivy turned to Weiss and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her cringe inwardly as she felt her Aura block some sort of pheromones that seeped out from the woman's hand. "Thank you, Snowdrop, you're such a doll."

Jinx's eyes glowed pink and and a raven shaped shadow appeared under Raven. "Hands to yourself, Ivy."

"The second that we get rid of D'Kay, you better run because there's a cell in Arkham with your name on it." Jinx warned.

Poison Ivy simply smirked, tapping a finger against her jaw thoughtfully. "If I recall, my little four leaf clover, you have a list of heinous crimes that's _almost_ as long as mine. You know, I did have high hopes for the young villainess who seemed to be born for her role." She flipped her hair nonchalantly, taking joy in seeing Jinx tense up. "I mean, _bad luck powers_? Never in a million years did I anticipate the little girl who was rejected by society would be able to switch sides and defend those who had wronged her."

Jinx's face turned as pink as her hair. "Listen you has-been-"

"She's not worth it, Jinx." Caitlin called from down the hallway, a bright green crystal in the shape of a cylinder in her hand. "Here you go, Weiss. I shaved it down to fit the exact dimensions of the Dust chambers. Your physiological composition is nearly identical to that of a human from Earth, so the Kryptonite shouldn't cause any adverse effects."

Weiss removed the vial of Light Dust from Myrtenaster

and handed it to Caitlin, sliding in the Kryptonite and closing Myrtenaster, the revolver clicking as it spun and set in place.

As soon as her Aura came in contact with the glowing crystal, a dizzy spell overcame her as the strange power washed over her. She stumbled forward, barely catching herself on a table that was nearby.

"Whoa, Weiss, are you alright?"

A bright green Glyph appeared under Weiss, radiating concentrated Kryptonite energy mixed with her own Aura, which focused it and amplified it much like it would with Dust.

"Fascinating…" Caitlin breathed, not at all put off by the unusually bright green color of the Glyph.

Weiss shook her head, focused, and dispelled the Glyph, spinning the revolver so that Fire Dust was at the center instead of the Kryptonite.

She didn't like the feeling that channeling the Kryptonite through her Aura gave her. Knowing that it could do harm to Conner and Superman… it didn't sit well with her.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just...wasn't expecting that."

Poison Ivy's eyes sparkled with something that Weiss could only identify as dangerous. "What an interesting turn of events. Someone with the ability to channel Kryptonite."

"An ability that I don't intend on using unless completely necessary. We're going to save everyone, not put them out of commission, remember?"

"But why take all the fun out of it?" Poison Ivy pouted, making Raven roll her eyes.

"Let's get going. The more time we spend here, the harder it'll be to break D'Kay's influence over them."

Caitlin's expression hardened and she ran a hand through her hair. "I wish I could go with you guys, but ever since the Grimm invasion, things have been crazy busy here, not to mention Cisco's still scouring the city for any clues about why Metropolis was the only city to be affected."

"Also the fact that there's nothing stopping D'Kay from turning either of you into one of her mind-controlled zombies." Jinx muttered dryly, still peeved that her boyfriend was one of those zombies.

"Be safe, and remember, all Green Martians are weak in the face of fire. It's something that's been ingrained in their genetics, and so strong that I don't think even Darkseid can reverse it."

Weiss looked down at the Fire Dust in Myrtenaster's revolver. Using it definitely wasn't her forte, but if it meant saving Conner, she'd have to manage.

"Let's head out. We can't leave everyone under his control for much longer."

Poison Ivy smirked. "Let the fun begin."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"I think you and I have very different definitions of the word 'fun'." Weiss grumbled as she pinched her nose, the disgusting smell of the sewer overpowering her senses.

"Mount Justice is filled with traps and defense mechanisms. This is the path that's least likely to get us vaporized or detected by D'Kay." Jinx explained.

As they walked through the sewers, Raven's magic surrounded them, keeping them concealed from D'Kay's senses, so long as she kept focus.

"You sense anything around us, Clover?" Poison Ivy asked, much to Jinx's annoyance.

"My name is Jinx, and no, I don't sense any life forms, except for the rat that's been following us for the past five minutes."

Raven stopped abruptly, the energy around them wavering. "Did you say a rat's been following us?"

"I-"

Before Jinx could answer, a green elephant came barreling at them, forcing Raven to break her focus to erect a wall of magic, blocking the elephant from flattening them like pancakes.

"We've been spotted, we need to get out of here and create the barrier again, otherwise we'll have to face off against everyone who D'Kay's made into a puppet." Poison Ivy warned, using the moss that spread across the sewers to engulf Beast Boy, trapping him under the green mass.

"Beast Boy!" Raven called out, trying to reach him through D'Kay's control.

The shape-shifting hero only bellowed and turned into a hummingbird, using his small size to escape from the moss and turn into an ankylosaurus, swinging his weighted tail at Jinx as he fell to the ground.

Using a Gravity Glyph, Weiss caught Beast Boy and threw him to the side of the sewer, making his skull collide with a steam pipe that burst as the spikes that ran along his body tore through it.

Steam filled the sewer, obscuring them from Beast Boy with burning liquid that would hopefully dull his senses should he recover.

"Good thinking Weiss, let's make a break for it!" Poison Ivy directed, erecting a wall of vines and thorns behind them.

"Raven, how's that shield coming?" Jinx asked, using her own magic to extend her senses and search for any more auras around them.

"The closer we get to D'Kay, the harder it is to keep it up. If they don't know where we are already, they will soon."

Explosions came from the other side of the thorn wall that Poison Ivy had erected.

"We need to split up. D'Kay has a team of superpowered minions at her disposal and we can't hope to face them all at once."

They stopped running when they reached a fork in the sewer system, leading to four different tunnels.

"Jinx, collapse the tunnel behind us. Raven, can you see far enough to direct us to the safest path?"

Raven' eyes glowed briefly before she pointed at the leftmost and then the rightmost tunnel. "The ones in the middle are dead ends. The one on the left leads to the sewer's main room and the one on the right leads to the Grotto which is also the closest to D'Kay's position."

"Well in that case, Weiss and I will take that one, you two act as a diversion and take the one on the left."

Jinx and Raven's faces hardened, but the rumbling and chaos from the other side of the plant wall told them that they didn't have much time to dawdle.

"I'll be fine. After all, D'Kay will most likely have Superman and Superboy with her to protect her, and seeing as I'm the only one with Kryptonite, I'm the best suited for the job."

Jinx mumbled something under her breath before snapping her fingers, causing the tunnel behind them to collapse. "Be safe and watch your back, Weiss. It isn't beneath Poison Ivy to turn on her allies when it suits her."

"Fortunately for you dolls, the Green themself has asked me to help and I'd be remiss to deny the wishes of the very being who has control over my powers. So you're safe." Poison Ivy winked at Weiss. "For now, at least."

Explosions boomed from both tunnels, the one on the right filled with green flashes, the one on the left with lightning bolts and bursts of purple magic.

"Best of luck girls, may you survive and live to tell tales of my glory."

Raven just rolled her eyes and turned into a shadow, melting into the shadows of the sewer while Jinx snapped her fingers, turning herself invisible.

Not wanting to step in any sewer water, Weiss created a line of Glyphs into the tunnel, skating across them as Poison Ivy used her vines to sling herself across.

Eventually they reached a giant room with two waterfalls coming out of pipes on either side the water flowing out of the room and through grates which led to the rest of the sewer. Green Lantern and Batman stood on either end of the room, looking like wax statues with how still they stood.

As soon as Weiss and Poison Ivy stepped into the room, their heads turned to look at them simultaneously, their stares blank and lifeless as they took their fighting stances.

"Looks like I was right. D'Kay has the Justice League acting as her personal guard dogs."

"Do you know how to snap them out of it?" Weiss asked, loading Water and Wind Dust.

"Cognitive recalibration." Poison Ivy responded simply, throwing countless seeds into the water around them, causing giant trees to erupt from them.

Batman and Green Lantern rushed at them, with Batman throwing multiple bat-shaped ninja stars at them and Green Lantern creating a giant green fist which was easily three times Weiss' size.

Using the water from the sewers, Weiss created a giant iceberg which blocked the ninja stars and Green Lantern's fist, breaking into a million fractals which rained over the entire room like a hailstorm of knives.

Green Lantern then proceeded to make a sword and rush at Weiss, only allowing her enough time to dodge out of the way.

Before she could catch her breath, Batman came at her, wielding a rapier made of hard light that she didn't know he was capable of using, stabbing and parrying with dexterity that kept her on her toes, not allowing for the slightest reprieve. He fought with just as much grace and elegance as Winter did, employing fencing techniques that Weiss had studied when she began her training.

Batman stabbed at her multiple times which she blocked, being forced back with every move he made, finally using a Glyph to jump back when he swung the sword in an arc, barely dodging the lash of energy that came after.

Before he could come at her again, she used a Gravity Glyph to throw him up in the air, hoping to knock him out from the impact, but before she could, green ropes made of energy wrapped around her, throwing her into the air as well, allowing Batman to stab her in the back and send her reeling forward into the water.

Weiss huffed, looking up to see Poison Ivy sitting on a throne made of vines, carelessly inspecting her nails. "You're doing great, darling, keep up the good work."

Resisting the urge to freeze her where she sat, Weiss stood up and created multiple Ice Glyphs over the water, freezing Batman and Green Lantern in giant blocks of ice.

"A little help, please?" She asked, exasperated with the woman standing before her. "For someone who claims to be a chosen of The Green, you really don't have much to show for it."

"I was just seeing what you could do, little snowdrop. After that display, I think you would make a fitting partner after all."

The ice around them began to crack, making Weiss panic as she fortified the Glyphs under them, making them spin faster.

"I'll deal with dear old Batsy and you can deal with Green Lantern."

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

Poison Ivy pointed to the green ring with the lantern insignia on it. "His ring is like a battery, and eventually it'll run out. Keep him busy until it does and then strike."

Weiss recalled the day that she had first met Green Lantern, and how the Apathy had nearly killed him because it drained all of the willpower from his ring.

She didn't know how having her Summons filled with willpower would affect her ability to control them, but it was a risk she would have to take if she wanted to save Conner.

Right as she finished the thought, the ice shattered, with Green Lantern not sparing a moment to create a giant machine gun and pelt them with bullets. Poison Ivy jumped out of the way and used a vine to swing across the room and kick Batman into the wall, using her vines to keep him occupied.

Not wanting to end up like the last Grimm Coco fought, Weiss loaded Hard Light Dust and created a barrier, protecting herself from the thousands of bullets that came at her.

When he realized that Weiss wasn't taking any damage, Green Lantern created a giant hammer and swung it down on her barrier, causing it to crack from the impact.

 _If I want to be able to Summon the Apathy, I need time to focus, otherwise I'll end up being affected, too._

Green Lantern swung the giant hammer down once more, making Weiss use a Glyph to get out of the way and avoid being pulverized.

She loaded Wind Dust and created a vortex, sending plucking him out of the air and sending him reeling towards Batman.

She stabbed Myrtenaster in the ground and quickly formed the Summoning Glyph, forming the hypnotizing, swirling circle over the water.

As he flew backwards, he threw countless angry green birds at Weiss, pelting her like a hailstorm, making her cry out as she held her ground, focused on Summoning the Apathy.

Thankfully, Poison Ivy came to her aid, forming masses of moss over both Batman and Green Lantern, pulling them in deeper to the green mass.

"Weiss, whatever you're about to do, do it now!" She yelled, barely able to contain the possessed heroes.

Weiss breathed hard as her Aura focused in on the Glyph, thin, emaciated bodies clawing their way out of the Glyph and into the water, the Apathy slowly but surely making their way into the world once more.

The Creatures of Grimm crawled out of the Glyph and instantly their powers took effect, draining the will to go on from Batman and Green Lantern. Weiss' head ached with the effort it took to direct their powers and keep it from affecting Poison Ivy and herself.

Green energy started draining out of Green Lantern's ring and went into the Apathy Grimm, and by extension, Weiss.

A chill went down her spine as she felt a wave of indomitable courage and willpower come over her, making her feel like she could do anything.

The Summon Glyph turned green as Green Lantern and Batman cried out, falling to the ground as the Apathy screeched, draining every last bit of their will.

Seeing them on the ground, almost kneeling before her...the sheer willpower coursing through her...it was _intoxicating_.

A voice in the back of her mind told her to stop, that she could kill them if she continued...but she didn't want to let go of the power.

"Weiss. That's enough. We need to go."

Weiss felt a hand on her shoulder, but she barely registered the words that were being spoken to her.

"Weiss. Normally, I would be all for putting an end to old Batsy and the Green Bean once and for all, but that's not who you are. Don't let the power control you."

Annoyed by the incessant pestering, Weiss directed the Apathy to the person behind her.

Poison Ivy's widened as she felt all the energy drain out of her body, falling to the ground as she no longer had the willpower to keep herself up.

"Think of the reason we came here. You're here to save your friends, right? I'm not sure how they would feel if you _murdered_ two members of the Justice League."

The Apathy's powers stopped, and Poison Ivy sighed, feeling as if she could suddenly see in color again.

"F...friends?" Weiss stammered, her grip on Myrtenaster wavering as the Apathy continued to drain Batman and Green Lantern.

"Jinx and Raven are out there fighting to save your other friends who are currently puppets for an insane space demon. And your friends back home will certainly have something to say about murdering two heroes in cold blood, won't they?"

Poison Ivy began to panic as Batman and Green Lantern finally fell to the floor, barely breathing, just staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Uh, you've been with Superboy your entire time on Earth right? Conner? Don't tell me those blue eyes and giant biceps haven't gotten to you, snowdrop, because my womanly intuition is never wrong."

The Glyph wavered, and the Apathy started to lose their solidity, the Aura and ice that was holding them together starting to come apart.

"Weiss, darling, think of your dearest friends. The ones here and back in your dimension. How would they look at you knowing you killed two people? How would you look at yourself?"

Silver, yellow, lilac, and cobalt eyes flashed through Weiss' mind, pain and disappointment shining clear through them.

The sound of Myrtenaster clanging to the ground, broke Weiss out of her trance, making the rest of the Apathy dissipate into the air, leaving green energy particles floating around the room.

Weiss let out a strangled sob and fell to her knees, trying to choke back the tears that fell freely down her face.

"What happened to me?" She looked up and saw Batman and Green Lantern lying on the floor, their eyes vacant and lifeless. "Will they be alright?"

Poison Ivy put her hand on Weiss' shoulder. "I still don't know what the hell happened, but they've been through worse, _trust me_. They'll recover."

"The Grimm-"

"-And I don't want to know. All you and I need to worry about right now is beating D'Kay. You can apologize to Batsy and the Green Bean for kicking their asses later."

"But-"

Poison Ivy shook her head. "No buts." She extended her hand, which Weiss took hesitantly, letting her help her up.

She used her vines to pry open the doors, revealing the Grotto which was shrouded in darkness, most likely hiding the alien that held her friends captive.

"Let's go."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thanks to her almost depleting Green Lantern and Batman's will to live, Weiss had more than enough Aura to repel D'Kay's powers, though the fact that her Glyphs turned green if she didn't concentrate enough did nothing to soothe her guilt.

The Grotto was dark and unusually quiet. The last time Weiss had been in there, it was lit with the memories of the fallen heroes. Now, it was completely still, the holographic effigies having gone dark.

She was about to keep on walking through the Grotto, but Poison Ivy placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"The moss are telling me that there are Kryptonians in here. Two to be precise."

Weiss' heart dropped, but she ignored it and loaded Fire Dust, using the orange glow emanating from her sword to see better.

"Why haven't they attacked yet?"

"Subtly isn't exactly the Kryptonians' forte, so if they're in here, they're waiting on orders from D'Kay to strike."

Weiss added Lightning Dust to Myrtenaster and slashed an arc in the air, sending orbs of bright light throughout the room.

With the room illuminated, Poison Ivy and Weiss were surprised to see that it was completely empty. There wasn't a Kryptonian in sight.

"How strange...even now the moss is telling me that they're here."

Poison Ivy perked up, as if she had just been struck with an idea. "Say, snowdrop, would it be possible to infuse Kryptonite into those pretty little lights you have?"

Weiss looked at the bright green crystal that was sitting in her revolver. "Even if I knew how, I'm not going to do it. Your plants can't give you exact coordinates?"

"Well it's not like they can actually speak Eng-"

Before Poison Ivy could finish her sentence, a blue blur descended from the ceiling, punching the floor in front of them and sending a shockwave through the grotto, blowing them back.

Weiss didn't even hit the ground before a blur of black, red, and blue appeared behind her and punched her in the back, sending her tumbling into the stream that ran through the Grotto.

"These Kryptonians are mighty, but their minds are weak." D'Kay materialized in front of Weiss, looking even more gruesome than before, wicked scars all over her body as well as a large mouth over her hip, sharp fangs protruding from it. "Even now, they fight against me, but to no avail. Hmm...the young one's mind still remains filled with images of you, wretched girl." The mouth over her hip spoke, though with a much deeper and gravelly voice than D'Kay's normal voice.

Weiss jumped back using a Glyph, using some Wind Dust to dry herself off after putting some distance between her and D'Kay, the stream separating her from the Martian and the possessed forms of Conner and Superman.

"I'm guessing there's no reasoning with you?" Poison Ivy surmised, dropping some seeds into the ground. Giant brambles erupted from the ground, surrounding a giant flytrap plant with razor sharp teeth. "But I think I like it better this way. I'll enjoy tearing you limb from limb."

"Treacherous thorn, your death with come in due time. Lord Darkseid only seeks the girl and has promised me my betrothed upon her successful capture."

"Your betrothed? You mean you don't know where Martian Manhunter is?" Weiss asked, an idea already starting to form in the back of her mind.

"He escaped my grasp when the Justice League failed to apprehend me, but Lord Darkseid promised me that his forces will capture him soon. His best hunter should bring me my love within the next hour." D'Kay's mouth turned into a snarl that Weiss guessed was supposed to be a smile. "Which means I have more than enough time to deal with you two. Kryptonians- do whatever you must."

Panic surged through Weiss as she saw Superman fly up into the air.

"Got anything hot in your arsenal?!" Poison Ivy asked Weiss, thrusting her arms forward and trapping Conner in a cage of brambles before he could rush at them as well.

Weiss loaded Fire and Wind Dust, but before she could ask why, Superman drew in a big breath and blew strong, icy winds at them, freezing their surroundings.

Creating a red and green Glyph, Weiss blasted a hot funnel of air, clashing with Superman's frost breath.

Even with the support of the energy she had gained from Green Lantern and Batman's willpower, it was still barely enough to hold off Superman's power.

Superman charged at her, making Weiss dispel the Glyphs and use another to jump out of the way, using a line of Glyphs to increase Superman's momentum and send him into the wall of the cave.

After enough struggling, Conner broke out of the thorned cage Poison Ivy had erected around him and tackled Weiss, knocking Myrtenaster out of her grasp and restraining her, holding both of her wrists behind her back with one hand.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." She grumbled, frustrated that Conner was able to keep both of her arms restrained without even the slightest bit of trouble.

Using a Glyph, Weiss jumped backwards into Conner, knocking them both down and causing him to lose his grip on her. She back flipped to Myrtenaster and picked it up, using Wind Glyphs to blow him backwards and into the river.

He charged her, throwing punch after punch that she dodged deftly, only using Myrtenaster to block and deflect his strikes.

She created a Gravity Glyph behind him and kicked off his abdomen into a backflip, using Ice Glyphs to trap him from the neck down in a block of ice.

Since Conner was Conner, however, he broke out of her ice trap and sent ice shards flying everywhere, pelting her with them.

Hoping to shock some sense back into him, Weiss loaded Lightning Dust and pulled the electricity out of Myrtenaster with her right hand, flinging it at him. Conner just crossed his arms and braced himself against it, being forced back just the slightest from the impact.

He jumped up into the air and then plummeted back down, punching the ground and sending shockwaves through it strong enough to blow Weiss off her feet.

She managed to do some backflips to recover, but before she could get on her feet, Conner sped behind her and punched her in the back, sending her sprawling forward into the moss.

Tired, irritated, and wet from the slimy moss, Weiss stood up and loaded Gravity Dust, creating multiple Gravity Glyphs around Conner, suspending him in midair.

He flailed angrily around as he tried to fly out of her trap, but unfortunately for him, Weiss still had plenty of Aura to spare.

"Conner! Snap out of it!" Weiss stabilized him so that he was right side up and slowly walked closer. "I know you're still in there. Don't let her control you."

His eyes were still glazed over, but he stopped struggling.

From behind her, Superman crawled out of the crater that he had made from impact.

Poison Ivy threw hundreds of seeds on the ground and grew monstrous plants which looked like they could rip the flesh off a human in under thirty seconds. "Keep it up! Whatever you're doing, it's working. I'll deal with Superman."

Weiss didn't actually expect to get through to him and didn't really know what to say, but continued nonetheless. "Your mind is yours and yours alone. You're stronger than her, Conner. Your heart is so much bigger than her brain."

Just for a split second, Conner's cobalt eyes came back to life. But as quickly as it came, it was replaced by his excruciating screams as D'Kay used her telekinesis to contort his body, twisting him as she gave him his consciousness back long enough to feel the pain she was inflicting.

Weiss tried to use her Gravity Glyphs to fight against her telekinesis, but there was only so much she could do against D'Kay's supercharged powers.

D'Kay stepped through the river, using her powers to bend the flow of the water around her as she walked.

"It is no use trying to defy me. Far stronger than you have tried, and you will fail just as they did. In fact…"

The elevator doors opened, revealing the unconscious forms of Jinx and Raven, followed by the rest of the Justice League and the Teen Titans.

Weiss heard a grunt and a thump from behind her and saw Poison Ivy roll towards her, Superman floating in the air behind them.

"You're surrounded my dear girl, and if you don't comply, the pain that I inflicted on the young Kryptonian will only be the beginning."

Panic seared through Weiss. She was backed into a corner, and there weren't very many other options for her.

"I won't give up so easily."

As a last ditch effort, she loaded Lightning Dust and cast a Time Dilation Glyph. As the world slowed around her and time froze, Weiss used a line of Glyphs to charge at D'Kay, ice forming around Myrtenaster and the entire room, dropping the temperature as Weiss skated across the Ice Glyphs.

She jumped up and thrust Myrtenaster forward, but before her rapier could pierce through D'Kay's eyes, a red blur came at her and swatted her out of the air, dispelling the Time Dilation Glyph and sending Weiss tumbling back to where Poison Ivy was.

The Flash stood in front of her, eyes glazed and completely hollow as he stared at Weiss and Poison Ivy.

Weiss recalled Kid Flash saying something about going fast enough to stop time itself, but she didn't think it was actually true.

"It is time to surrender, child, lest I lose my temper and leave Darkseid to piece your remains back together."

Weiss looked around and saw the state of her friends, of the heroes who had sworn to protect the world that she had fallen into.

In her current situation it was hard to see how she was doing anything to improve their situation. She didn't want to give up. She wanted to go kicking and screaming.

 _But that's not an option if I want my friends to survive this._

"I'll go peacefully, but if I do, you need to let go of my comrades."

D'Kay let out a snarl that Weiss guessed was supposed to resemble a laugh. "You're hardly in a position to make a deal, child."

In a flash, Weiss summoned Apathy Grimm and flooded the entire room with them, draining the will out of the zombified heroes.

"I'm not so sure about that." She glared, her icy eyes piercing through D'Kay like an icicle.

D'Kay simply laughed and snapped her fingers, causing all of the heroes to crumple to the ground, their minds finally free from her control.

To Weiss' horror, she seemed unaffected by the emaciated Grimm which clawed at her, failing to drain her.

"My insanity is far deeper than the claws of your creatures can sink into, child." The mouth on her hip spoke. "Years of isolation in a prison will change you. Alter your very mind until it manifests into the company that you so crave and desire."

She reached out and crushed the head of an Apathy with her hand, causing it to disperse into ice and mist. "But I care not for these creatures. I only desire my beloved…" She caressed the face of another Apathy, using her powers to restrain them as the ones surrounding her tried to claw at her. "And if your retrieval is necessary for our reunion, then these heroes mean nothing to me."

Weiss' grip tightened on Myrtenaster. "And you swear that you're not controlling them anymore?"

"Kryptonian. Awaken."

Conner groaned as his eyes slowly opened, his head pounding from being under D'Kay's control for so long.

"Weiss? What's going on?" He asked in confusion, pushing himself off the ground as he took in the unconscious heroes and Apathy Grimm that surrounded them.

Weiss instantly dispelled the Summon and used Glyphs to run over to him, throwing her arms around him as she held back tears.

His arms unconsciously tightened around her, his hand resting on the back of her head. "Weiss? What's going on?"

She didn't say anything, only hugging him tighter as she knew that that moment might be the last time that she saw him.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. I've met so many amazing people and I owe it all to you."

Conner was absolutely bewildered and starting to feel a little scared. "Ice Princess, what's going on? Why am I back to normal if D'Kay isn't dead?" He pulled Weiss even closer, his arms locking around her as he started to realize what she was trying to do.

D'Kay held a claw forward and opened a portal, though it swirled a murky gray color and obscured where it led. "It's time to go, child of snow. I've granted you your wish. Now it's time to hold up your end of the bargain."

Weiss held blinked back the tears and tried to pull away from him, but to no avail. "Conner, let go of me."

His head fell to her shoulder and with her hand against his heart, she could feel how fast it was beating. "Please don't do this. We can find another way. We can get you back home. I promise, just don't do this to yourself."

Weiss pulled back slightly and pulled his forehead down to meet hers. Ice met cobalt as she looked into his eyes and saw the pain and raw fear that was going through him.

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her left hand dropping down to Myrtenaster, spinning the revolver until it landed on the Kryptonite.

"I'm sorry, Conner." A bright green Glyph appeared under them, making Conner turn deathly pale as the effects of the Kryptonite overtook him.

"What the- how are you doing this?" He choked, falling to his knees.

Weiss jumped back, tears now flowing freely down her face. "I can't risk your life for my own. Everyone's been so kind to me by taking me in… I can't repay you by letting you become her minions."

She used a Glyph to jump over to the portal, making sure to keep the Glyph under Conner active.

He groaned in pain as he tried to crawl away from the Glyph, panic flooding his senses harder than he had ever felt before. "Weiss! Don't do this. _Please._ "

She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I have to. It's my duty as a Huntress and as a hero to put the safety of the people I love before myself."

Weiss allowed herself one more glance at Conner, most likely the last one she would ever get, before walking into the gray portal, her decision made.

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	25. A Close Encounter

"Why so quiet, my dear? You aren't even on Apokolips yet and that smart mouth of yours seems to have stopped working." D'Kay's second mouth remarked snidely.

Weiss didn't respond, her gaze remained fixed on the ocean which crashed against the cliff side that they were on, a lush meadow behind them as they waited for Darkseid's supposed hunter.

Buildings which resembled the remains of an old prison lay behind them, D'Kay having levelled them with her powers to make sure that they wouldn't be interrupted by any other people.

 _I hope Conner and the rest are okay. Being under her control for so long must've had some negative side effects on their brains._

"I myself will not be accompanying you to Apokolips because my beloved and I will be on our honeymoon, ensuring the survival of our indomitable race." D'Kay added, interrupting Weiss' thoughts.

She grimaced, but said nothing, trying not to gag knowing full well what 'ensuring the survival of their race' meant.

Another gray portal opened to their left, just a few feet from the cliff side, saving Weiss from having to endure any more of D'Kay's menial and condescending conversation.

"Ah! Could it be…"

Martian Manhunter came tumbling out, restrained in a pair of glowing handcuffs, restricting his powers and keeping him in a state of confusion to keep him from being able to form coherent thoughts.

The creature that came after him however...was something that would remain burned in Weiss' mind for the rest of her life.

A Cheshire grin was carved into the mask that the creature wore, a single blue eye revealed behind it which was partially obscured by faded blond hair which was disrupted by an ivory horn that protruded from its forehead.

White armor with gold lining covered its body, but it was cracked and bloody in places, giving it splashes of bright red, which matched perfectly with the red of the sash that hung from around its waist. A cracked sword and an even worse shield rested on his arm, the Arc family crest now turned upside down and blood red instead of gold.

"At last! Darkseid's Huntsman has arrived with my beloved!" D'Kay screeched, scrambling to pull up the disgusted Martian Manhunter who looked half dead and beaten to a bloody pulp.

Weiss fell to her knees as tears started streaming down her face and she started shaking uncontrollably. She could feel her Semblance, her Aura, start to pulse at her fingertips, trying to burst outwards with the flurry of emotions going through her.

She looked up and saw the blue eye behind the ivory Cheshire mask. The cornflower blue that she had looked into when she had rejected him time after time when they were at Beacon. The cornflower blue that she had grown to tolerate and then accept as a true friend in their adventures across Remnant.

 _"Jaune?"_

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"FUCK!" Conner growled, punching yet another crater into the ground of the Grotto, ignoring his now bloody knuckles as he continued to take his anger out on the ground.

"Why did she have to do this?! That fucking idiot had to go and try and be a hero and give herself up!"

Wonder Woman watched with sad eyes as she saw Conner beat the ground and his fists into dust, the Grotto now empty as the rest of the Justice League and the Titans had gone to rest and recover.

"She's not even from this world! She's known us for all of two days and she's ready to throw away her goddamn life. T-two days…" Conner choked back tears as he kneeled in the middle of the crater. "You've gotta tell me that they found her, Diana. Where is she?"

The desperation in his voice shook her to her core, but the Amazonian could do little more than shake her head.

Conner's face contorted before he stood up, not bothering to dust himself off or even register the pain pulsing from his damaged fists.

"I'm going to go look for her."

Diana knew that him going out to look for her would just result in more trouble. "Conner-"

"You can't stop me. You said that Raven and Jinx could only sense that she was still on Earth?"

Diana nodded.

"Then I'm gonna get someone who _can_ find her." He sniffled, sheer determination and willpower being the only things that were keeping him from collapsing.

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened, revealing the intrepid reporter Lois Lane holding a stuffed blue panda bear in her arms, Zwei and Wolf, Conner's super powered and genetically enhanced canine partner, at her side.

"You called for a pair of super powered pups?"

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"This has to be another dream. I'm going to wake up and find plants attached to my wrists aren't I?"

Weiss was in near hysterics as her friend looked down at her, the grin that was carved into the Grimm mask unrelenting and unmoving.

"Is this one from your world too, my dear? Well, well, there isn't much life in this one, but the negative emotions spouting from him are simply _divine."_ D'Kay taunted.

She tried to place a hand on his shoulder mockingly, but before she could even get close, Jaune had drawn his sword and cut off her arm, the green limb dropping to the ground and sizzling away into dust.

D'Kay just rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "And now I've to deal with the menial task of regrowing a limb." She complained, as if having her arm cut off were more of a nuisance than anything else.

"Darkseid told me that this Huntsman was rather chatty when he was alive, spouting off about some sort of Pyre? His new form seems to have fixed that, and it appears it's worked brilliantly hasn't it?"

In a flash, Jaune directed his sword to her neck, his single eye glinting murderously.

"Take monster…leave." He ground out, his words muffled from behind the mask. "I...deal...Snow."

Weiss could only assume that by Snow he meant herself, and looking at him, it took every fiber of her being to keep from bawling like a child.

"Darkseid...Boom Tube...Half hour."

She looked at Martian Manhunter, currently pinned to D'Kay's side as she prattled on about their honeymoon, who was staring down at her with such intensity, as if trying to telepathically communicate with her.

Logically, Weiss knew that the handcuffs were restricting his powers and that lowering her Aura was the most reckless thing she could do in a situation where it protected her mind from the vicious alien that kidnapped her, but seeing as Darkseid's very own Huntsman stood before her, she didn't have very many options.

The minute she lowered her Aura, she was bombarded by a splitting headache, but among that headache, she heard a voice.

 **Weiss, if you can hear me, blink twice. I repeat, if you can hear me, blink twice.**

Weiss blinked twice, making Martian Manhunter stop, visibly relaxing as he looked over to the ocean so as not to alert their captors.

 **These handcuffs are restricting my powers so at the moment I can only reach you. Does anyone know of our location?**

"No, and it will stay that way." D'Kay spoke, making Weiss bring her Aura back up instantly and inadvertently closing herself off to Martian Manhunter again.

D'Kay's arm extended and she grabbed Weiss by the neck, nearly snapping her in two if it wasn't for her Aura. "Did you really think that I wouldn't hear your little conversation? Your attempts at taking me beloved away from _me?!"_

Weiss choked and clawed at D'Kay's arms, too panicked and frantic to bring forth a Glyph or Summon anything. She was positive that D'Kay was going to snap her neck, but before she could, Jaune unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her neck, dark energy swirling around it.

"Let…go."

Much to Weiss' relief, D'Kay let go and dropped her, leaving her to gasp and hack as she tried to get air back in her lungs.

"I suppose there is no reason for my beloved and I to dawdle. After all, our honeymoon on Mars awaits!"

Martian Manhunter scoffed, and if it was possible for him to roll his completely red eyes, Weiss was sure he would've done it.

Another portal opened, this time revealing a grotesquely large gray face, only red eyes and a red omega symbol on his forehead to stand out among the array of gray wrinkles.

 **"You will do as you were instructed D'Kay and wait upon the arrival of the Boom Tube before leaving with your…"** Darkseid paused in disgust. **"Prize."**

Weiss fought the urge to shudder as an unexplainable pressure came over her, beating down on her as if a Gravity Glyph was bearing down on her consciousness.

The gray faced creature's gaze shifted to her and it was as if the pressure had multiplied by a thousand. "The insect with the Light Energy, what an honor to finally meet you."

Plucking up courage from the deepest part of her heart, Weiss stood up straight and glared at the being that had caused her new friends so much pain and suffering.

"I wish I could say the same, ugly. And as for this Light Energy that you're looking for... well let's just say I think you'll be disappointed."

Weiss had traded her Light Dust for Kryptonite back at S.T.A.R. Labs knowing that if things went south and she was captured, it would be safe.

Now if Weiss were to die, at least she would have the satisfaction of keeping her Dust from him.

Darkseid did not look amused. **"And what do you mean by that, insect?"**

Weiss smirked, trying to appear smug despite herself. "Check my rapier and you'll find that the crystal of light you're looking for isn't there."

 **"D'Kay, inspect the sword."**

Myrtenaster, which was lying a few feet away from Weiss, floated from its place into D'Kay's hands.

She brought it up to her face and looked at the revolver, spinning it with her finger until she had inspected every cartridge.

While she was busy, Weiss focused intensely on the Dust that was in Myrtenaster. She had never tried activating Dust that was so far away from herself, but if she wanted to get Martian Manhunter and herself out alive, she would have to find a way.

She reached out to the Fire Dust and focused as much Aura as she could through it. Caitlin's advice was still fresh in her mind and she'd make use of it.

It took some concentration, but when the Fire Dust lit up and glowed a fiery red color, Weiss smoked victoriously.

A blaze of fire erupted from the sword, blowing back D'Kay and Jaune, overloading the handcuffs that contained Martian Manhunter and shorted them out.

The cuffs clicked and fell off of him, giving him his powers back and allowing him to distance himself from the fire since it no doubt affected him the same way.

He used telekinesis to break Weiss' own handcuffs, letting her dive and pick up Myrtenaster, using Glyphs to backflip away from the fire.

While she much preferred using ice to fire, she knew full well how to use it. Loading Wind Dust along with the Fire Dust, Weiss guided the fire to turn into a vortex that surrounded D'Kay and Jaune, leaving her to scream in agony as they tried to claw their way out.

Martian Manhunter ran up to Weiss and took her hand. "Excellent thinking, Weiss, now let us-"

Before he could finish his sentence, an ivory spear adorned with gold protruded from his stomach, the darkness that emanated from it blocking his ability to heal or stop the bleeding.

Jaune walked out of the fire without batting an eyelash, leaving D'Kay in there to suffer.

He thrust his hand forward and called the spear back, darkness swirling around it until it turned into the cracked sword that it used to be.

 **"Huntsman, capture the girl and kill the Martian, but leave her in acceptable condition. You have precisely fifteen minutes until the Boom Tube arrives, or else I will personally make an appearance on Earth to end your life and that of the others that Salem has brought me."** Darkseid warned, the portal the he spoke through closing after him.

Weiss nearly choked on air.

 _Others? So Jaune isn't the only one who's been captured and turned into a Grimm?_

Looking at Martian Manhunter's writhing form on the ground, she realized that she didn't have time to grieve for her friend.

The Creature of Grimm standing before me is nothing but a blasphemous effigy of the real Jaune Arc.

"Martian Manhunter, are you alright?" Weiss asked, noticing how slowly his body was healing the stab wound.

He pushed himself off the ground, grunting in pain as pure agony seared through his body. "I will manage."

"As long as D'Kay is-"

Before Weiss could finish her sentence, Jaune slashed an arc through the air, sending dark energy to the vortex that trapped D'Kay, making it dissolve into the air.

When the fire cleared, D'Kay pushed herself off the ground, her body turned into green mush from the stress that the fire had put her under.

"You crave to see my insanity inflicted upon you?! Nothing will get in the way of my union with my beloved. NOTHING!"

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 **"Conner. I was wondering when you would come to visit me."**

The hero in question put his hands in his pockets, trying to push down the feelings of guilt and grief that resurfaced after seeing her comatose body again.

Wolf sat at his side, still as a statue in respect for his master's old comrade. Zwei on the other hand, immediately jumped on the bed and started licking M'gann's face, looking incredibly downtrodden when the giant pink person that smelled like happiness didn't respond.

"I meant to after I found out that you were…" He struggled to find the right word, as 'alive' didn't seem right. "Conscious. But a lot of things happened since then."

 **"I sensed it the moment D'Kay stepped in the building. Unfortunately, my powers were too weak and if I had done anything, I would've alerted her of my presence."**

Conner's hands felt sweaty for the first time in a long time, and he did everything in his power to appear less nervous, but he knew that M'gann could see right through him. "I know you're still healing and your powers are recovering...but I need your help with something."

 **"You need me to read their minds and find out where Weiss is?"**

Conner didn't know whether or not she used her powers to figure it out, but nonetheless he nodded. "I gave Wolf and Zwei something with her scent on it-"

 **"-A stuffed panda? That you won her at the Kansas State Fair?"** M'gann asked, in a teasing tone that made Conner's face turn bright red in annoyance and embarrassment.

"Can you find her or not?"

 **"It seems the Ice Princess has thawed your heart."** She commented, and even though she was completely paralyzed, he could hear her smirk loud and clear.

"I thought you said that you wouldn't peek into other people's minds without their permission?"

 **"Technically, I haven't. The words 'Weiss', 'ice', 'princess', and 'lo-"**

His eyes narrowed. "Hey-"

 **"Have been bouncing around your head this entire conversation. Pretty loudly if I might add. It is technically not snooping if your thoughts are so loud I can't help but hear them."**

Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "This really isn't the conversation I wanted to have with you right now."

 **"Sorry,"** She giggled, directing her powers to look into Zwei and Wolf's minds, finding the exact coordinates to Weiss' location. **"It looks like they both know where she is."**

"Where is she?"

M'gann hesitated, not sure if the canines were giving her the exact location.

 **"Alcatraz."**

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D'Kay released a wave of telekinetic power that blasted the grass clean off the earth. Martian Manhunter held out his hand and created a barrier, blocking the wave with a thought.

Jaune, undeterred, rushed at them, the dark energy swirling around his sword coming together to form a broadsword.

Weiss loaded Lightning Dust and countered his strike, using the gold in his armor as a conductor and sending a surge of electricity through him.

Before Weiss could strike again, D'Kay picked her up and flung her across the plain with her telekinesis.

"Whoa!"

While flying through the air, Weiss used Gravity Glyphs to stabilize herself, creating some under D'Kay and Jaune to lift them up into the air.

Martian Manhunter then took it upon himself to bring Weiss back to the ground gently, and then slam Jaune and D'Kay into the ground roughly, creating craters in their wake.

"The fire. Use it again to weaken D'Kay. I'll do what I did last time and throw her into the sun to kill her once and for all." Martian Manhunter advised, his voice monotone as always.

"But won't the fire affect you too?" Weiss asked, loading the Fire Dust anyways.

His face remained impassive. "I will endure."

Knowing that they didn't have much time left, Weiss created another vortex of fire around D'Kay and Jaune, this time using Gravity Dust to hold them down to the ground.

"AAAHHH!" D'Kay cried in agony, making Weiss glad that she couldn't see them beyond the flames.

"I'll toss her up in the air. You can take it from there, right? I'll deal with J-the Huntsman."

Martian Manhunter nodded and flew up into the air just as Weiss reversed the Gravity Glyph and shot D'Kay up in the air.

"You'll never be rid of me! I will follow you to the ends of the universe! Through life and death! Through-"

Finding D'Kay's incessant screaming to be too much for her ears to handle, Weiss used an Ice Glyph to freeze her amorphous body, keeping it in the state of mush that it was in and shutting her up for good.

Martian Manhunter shot her a grateful look, and in the blink of an eye, they were both off in the direction of the sun.

A black arc of energy came her way, cutting through her Glyphs and forcing her to dodge as she was reminded that she still had one opponent left.

She had very little time to escape before the Boom Tube came down, whatever that was.

 _Meaning I have to defeat the Grimmified form of one of my friends in under ten minutes._

"You're nothing more than the remnants of Jaune's last emotions in a husk. A shell created by Salem to hurt me."

Weiss loaded Water and Wind Dust, the Ice Glyph under her filled with so much emotion that icy winds started swirling around her, freezing the grass underneath her.

"Snow...white." Grimm-Jaune rasped, drawing his blade and his shield. "...die."

Anger flooded Weiss as she realized that her friends didn't even have his weapons to bury with him like a true Huntsman. "Those weapons don't belong to you. They belong to the person whose face and armor you're wearing."

Without missing a beat, Weiss coated Myrtenaster with ice and charged at him, speeding across a line of Glyphs to gain momentum.

Their swords clashed and he was forced back, allowing Weiss to get in a series of thrusts and slashes which created more and more ice on his body as she went.

More dark energy swirled around him as he changed the form of the sword into a broadsword, the darkness extending the sword's reach and width until Weiss child no longer counter as easily.

The new weight of the weapon forced her to deflect and dodge, moving fluidly as she continued to sneak in quick strikes which caused more ice to erupt from his body.

Right as the lower half of his body was covered in ice and Weiss found an opening, a dark tendril came out from his back and countered her strike, creating an explosion of black energy and ice.

A glacier formed between them as Weiss was blown back, nearly sending her over the cliff side and onto the sharp and jagged rocks that lay at the bottom.

To make matters worse, when Martian Manhunter came back down from the sky, he wasn't alone.

He and D'Kay were locked in an aerial battle, sending waves of telekinetic energy at each other and pulling out random chunks of the cliff side and throwing them at each other which made fighting Jaune even more difficult than it already was.

As Weiss skated across a line of Glyphs, the earth in front of her cracked and flew upwards, causing the rest of the cliff side that they were on to crumble.

"Whoa!"

With another Glyph, Weiss jumped backwards from the fissure, Jaune following soon after, jumping from rock to rock as they fell down the cliff.

Before they could even hit the ground, he jumped off the rock and slashed through her, but before he could use another rock to propel himself towards her again, she used Earth Dust to gather all of the stray earth and rocks and trap him in a rock tomb.

Using another Glyph to jump off of and land safely on the ground, Weiss lifted up the cluster of rocks and slammed it back in the ground.

When the rocks broke apart however, Jaune was nowhere to be found.

"What?"

The shadows that the rocks cast gathered together, drawing themselves out of the ground until they formed Grimm Jaune, making Weiss huff in frustration.

 _"Fantastic._ He can turn into shadows too."

Looking at the ocean to her side, Weiss created an Ice Glyph and coated her heels, skating across the Glyphs until she reached the ocean. She loaded Lightning Dust and fused it with the Ice Glyphs and created spears of electrified ice out of the ocean.

Luckily, with the water from the ocean, Weiss didn't need to expend so much Aura as she didn't need so much Water Dust to form the ice.

Jaune jumped off the rocks and slashed through the spears of ice, shrugging off the electricity that coursed through his body as he drove his sword into the sand, creating dark shockwaves that tore across the water and through Weiss' Glyphs.

Using some form of energy manipulation, he supercharged her Glyphs against her will, turning them black and froze the entire bay, electrocuting her as the energy reversed against her.

"Aah!" She cried, dropping Myrtenaster on the ice beneath her as the electricity coursed through her.

Jaune charged at her from the beach, allowing Weiss all of two seconds to get her bearings and grab Myrtenaster before he charged his sword with energy and hit her with the flat side, sending her reeling across the ice and back onto the beach.

An explosion sounded from over the cliff side, reminding her that D'Kay and Martian Manhunter were still fighting as well, and if her last encounter with the Justice League was proof enough, D'Kay would be a formidable foe for him.

As Weiss tumbled back onto the sand, she used a Glyph to stabilize herself and get on her feet, using a Wind and Fire Glyph to kick up the sand and turn it into glass, pelting Jaune with storm of shards.

With the combined power of the fire vortex and the glass shards, she sent up flying up into the air, crashing into D'Kay and sending them back over the cliff.

Summoning a Queen Lancer, Weiss jumped off a Glyph and onto it, flying towards Martian Manhunter.

"Got any ideas about how to finish her off?" She asked, jumping down from the giant insect.

"Green Martians are nearly immortal. Any damage we take is easily healed and while we are weak to fire it is simply a psychological weakness. Your powers alone are I sufficient."

Ignoring the jab, Weiss felt her heart drop at the thought. "Kill her? I thought heroes were supposed to be above that."

Martian Manhunter scoffed. "That creature is no more alive than the abomination that you've been fighting. Darkseid's ability to bring beings back to life is blasphemous and a crime against the laws of nature. When they're brought back to life, their souls are altered and they can never truly reach peace after death."

Weiss took in a sharp breath and looked at Jaune.

 _With Adam, it was different because he was an enemy from the very start. It was easier to accept that he'd always been dead. But looking at Jaune…_

She shook her head. Without her Light Dust, finishing him off would be harder, but she had always been partial to ice anyways.

"Can you restrain D'Kay and the Huntsman? I have an idea."

Without waiting for his approval, Weiss used an Ice Glyph to create a ring of sharp spires around the four of them, the spires bursting out in fragments that made them look like deadly flowers.

"Flowers...how beautiful." D'Kay marveled before her face upturned into a nasty snark. "They'll be perfect for your funeral!" She roared, releasing a psychic burst of energy that sent Weiss flying.

Martian Manhunter caught her with his powers and reversed her trajectory, sending her flying towards Jaune.

He extended his arms and enlarged his hands, trapping D'Kay and using his powers to restrain both her and Jaune, forcing them to the ground with telekinesis.

As Weiss sailed towards Jaune, she used a Gravity Glyph to increase her speed and impact, Myrtenaster crossing with the corrupted version of Crocea Mors in a burst of sparks as she pushed him back, tumbling forward after him.

As she tumbled, she stabbed her rapier into the ground to stabilize herself and loaded Earth Dust.

Creating a giant Earth Glyph under the entire dome of ice, Weiss sent a shockwave through it, shattering the ice and sending Jaune and D'Kay into the air.

She breathed and created multiple Glyphs around her, using a technique that she hadn't used since her first battle against the Arma Gigas.

She loaded Hard Light Dust, blue light sparkling and trailing from the Myrtenaster's tip as she spun and waved her sword in a circle, sending bolts of energy at both Jaune and D'Kay. Glyphs formed around their bodies, trapping them and leaving them suspended in midair as the rings restrained them.

Using Wind and Water Dust, Weiss coated Myrtenaster in ice and opened a Summon Glyph overhead, mixing some ice in it as well.

"I'll never leave my beloved! How dare you try to defy me and my love!" D'Kay screeched, letting loose burst after burst of psychic energy.

Martian Manhunter blocked her attacks and reinforced Weiss' Glyphs with his own powers, making them turn purple as they were infused with the energy.

Jumping into the air with a Glyph, Weiss Summoned her Arma Gigas' sword and propelled herself off of the Glyph, using Myrtenaster and the giant sword to run through both D'Kay and Jaune, making jagged spires of ice erupt from both of their bodies, disrupting their healing abilities.

Despite being cut clean in half, D'Kay continued to wail and struggle to the last moment.

"I'm going to enjoy this much more than I should." Martian Manhunter muttered under his breath, using his powers to hold D'Kay's frozen body in the air, sending it rocketing to the sky with him following not long after.

When the two Martians had become no bigger than tiny dots in the sky, Weiss looked back down at Jaune, and what had become of him.

She fell to her knees as shock tore through her, driving Myrtenaster into the ground to keep herself from falling over completely.

The Grimm mask that covered his face broke off and dissolved in a cloud of smoke, the rest of his body dissolving along with it.

"Jaune?" She asked, hoping that he was back to his normal self.

As the mask broke off, the haziness that had obscured Jaune's sight cleared and the control that Salem and Darkseid had over him was lifted.

Underneath the mask was Jaune's scarred, but still mostly intact face. As he blinked, the right eye that had been turned Grimm red reverted to its original blue, tears starting to form and fall down his face as he came to.

"W-Weiss… is… r-really you?"

Jaune sobbed as he tried to bring his hand to her face, only to realize that his arms were made of Grimm and that they were slowly dissolving into smoke.

His mouth was scarred and disfigured, scars blemishing his lips and lower facial structure, hindering his speaking ability.

"It seems his body was mutilated to be able to host the darkness that comes from your world. He won't survive." Martian Manhunter explained bleakly.

Tears fell down Weiss' face like a waterfall as she crawled over to him, taking his head into her lap.

"Jaune… what happened to you?"

He coughed up more black smoke, his lungs turning to ash like the rest of him. "Salem… Vacuo… fall."

Adam's words resounded through her mind and the horror of what was going on back in her own world finally hit her.

"What about my team? Yours? Please tell me they're still alive. I-"

Tears streamed down Jaune's faced as he shook his head, knowing that he didn't have time to explain everything he needed to. _"Haven._ Safe haven. You… got to-"

Before he could finish his sentence, two red beams came down from the sky and he pushed her away with what little power he had left, leaving Weiss to watch as what was left of her friend was obliterated by the evil beam.

The second beam chased after Martian Manhunter, moving and changing directions as he did. "Weiss! Escape before-"

The Green Martian was cut off as the red beam blasted through him. He glowed bright red before the beam ripped his atoms apart, tearing him apart on the molecular level until he disintegrated into the air.

"J'onn!" Weiss screamed, horror coursing through her and tears streaming down her face as she realized the sheer power of the creature before her.

"It seems that you really are quite the formidable adversary, insect, but your resistance is futile. Give up, lest you end up like the Martian."

A portal of a thousand different colors opened over Weiss, a vortex of winds blasting through, trying to pull her in.

Using a Gravity Glyph, she tried to fight against it, but when it started pulling up the earth around her, she knew that it wouldn't be long before she was overpowered.

 **"I've grown tired of watching my subordinates fail to obtain you and your crystals. And while your treachery inconveniences me, Salem has assured me that the energy that resides within you will be enough to open the portal."**

Weiss' concentration faltered. _"You want to steal my Aura?"_

 **"Your life matters little to me. And I'm sure that my scientists will learn much about your kind in the process."**

Darkseid's face disappeared as the portal grew twice as large, emitting intense light of every color in the rainbow as well as some that Weiss had never seen before, striking her Glyph and making a crack tear through it.

The Gravity Glyph under Weiss disintegrated as the vortex of light and wind grew too strong, pulling her into the air.

As the world around her faded into bright colors and raging winds, a blur of red, yellow, and black came at her, strong arms surrounding her as they tried to escape the pull of the portal.

"Conner! What are you doing here?!" Weiss asked, creating another Gravity Glyph under them to help him resist the pull.

"Trying to save your ass!" He grunted, hugging her tightly despite himself and blaming the rapid beating of his heart on the adrenaline. "You think sacrificing yourself makes you a hero? It just makes you an idiot!"

Weiss just smiled and shook her head, realizing that they would have to have their heart to heart later, as the situation that they were in wasn't the most appropriate.

"We can talk later! We need to get out of range of the portal!"

Weiss spun her revolver to land on Wind Dust, but because it was a similar color to the Kryptonite, and because of the countless colors bursting from the portal, the revolver landed on the Kryptonite, sending a green pulse through Conner that made him go pale.

"Put it away! Reach into my back pocket! I brought your Light Dust! If you used it to open the portal here, maybe you can use it to close it too!" Conner explained through grit teeth as the Kryptonite continued to sap at his strength, allowing the portal to pull them closer and closer.

Hastily pocketing the Kryptonite and switching it out for Light Dust, Weiss loaded it and tried to prepare an orb of light.

When she felt Conner's grip on her falter however, she knew that they would both be lost to Darkseid's grasp.

"NO!" He cried, the effects of the Kryptonite eventually taking away his ability to fly, leaving them defenseless against the pull of the portal.

Gritting her teeth, Weiss hugged Conner to her and focused as much Aura as she could through Myrtenaster.

As they were sucked into the portal, Weiss took exactly a split second to marvel at the beauty of the colors around her as they travelled through the tube.

When that split second was over, she enveloped herself and Conner in Light Energy and slashed a gash through the side of the prismatic Boom Tube.

The entire Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum arced around the gash as the array of colors pulled her and Conner in, straying from the original course of the Boom Tube.

Eventually the colors grew to be too powerful and the Huntress and the Kryptonian were blinded until all they saw was white.

The energy surged through them, supercharging Weiss' Aura until it came to be too much and she blacked out.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 **"I never intended for you and I to meet this way, but you are much more… daring than I had anticipated, Weiss Schnee."**

Weiss felt weightless when she woke up. She also felt warm, as if a soft light had been lit inside her and it was warming her from the inside out.

When she opened her eyes, however, that feeling was replaced with immense confusion as she saw a giant glowing white alien baby the size of a planet underneath her.

The baby was sleeping, tucked in the fetal position as it floated in a vast galaxy of stars, its light radiating to the farthest reaches, Weiss looking down on it as she floated in the space above.

"Who- what are you?" Weiss asked, a million different questions running through her mind. Though one was more prevalent than the others. "And where's Conner?"

 **"The Kryptonian is healing. Being in such close proximity to Kryptonite for an extended amount of time, especially after your previous encounter with him, wounded him severely."**

Weiss looked down at the baby, realizing that the energy that radiated from it felt extremely similar to that of her own Aura or Ruby's Silver Eye powers.

"You- this isn't the first time you've helped me is it? You're the one who the Green and the Red answer to."

The being hummed. **"Not necessarily, but both of their powers reside under my domain. I am the embodiment of all Life Energy that exists in the universe. I am the Life Entity."**

Somehow, most likely by the Life Entity's powers, Weiss knew exactly what the being before her was. Images of nine different primordial beings, each one representing a different color of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, flashed through her mind.

 **"All life shares my essence, and the people of Remnant, the people born from Dust, are able to harness that power. Your God of Light, one of the Brothers Grimm, was created from the same energy that I was and bestowed it upon your world."**

"Creating life on Remnant." She realized, remembering Jinn's history lesson.

 **"When Warp first created the portal and tried to send you to your doom, you should have died, but I saw a light in you that I have only seen in a few other people and I knew that you would be instrumental in defeating Darkseid once and for all."**

M'gann was right. Me coming to Earth was no coincidence.

"So you're the reason why I'm on Earth?"

 **"And also the reason why your molecules weren't torn to shreds when you decided to use Light Energy to disrupt the Boom Tube."** The Life Entity chimed in, making Weiss feel sick to her stomach.

"And what do you expect me to do now? You know how powerful Darkseid is. What can I do that the Justice League can't?"

 **"You have the ability to harness Light Energy. Your soul is filled with it and Darkseid's powers are fueled by the need for destruction and chaos. He's a vessel of Dark Energy and his alliance with Salem means that he will be in possession of even more."**

"But-"

 **"You've nearly arrived at your destination. Your home may not be how you remember it Weiss, but if you succeed in saving it and return to my domain alive, there is a chance to restore it and reverse the effects of Darkseid's influence."**

Her heart stopped.

"My home? Are we going to Remnant?"

 **"Be careful Weiss and remember: meet with me where the golden dragon lays to rest when you've completed your task."**

Before Weiss could ask any more questions, the world went white.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

"Move out of the way!"

"Evacuate the city while you still can!"

"Everyone please enter the Bullheads in a calm and- AAHH!"

"Mommy!"

"Is that a Griffon?!"

"It's a Wyvern!"

"My cabbages!"

When Weiss came to, she saw the city of Haven crumbling around her. Being back in Remnant felt strange, but incredibly nostalgic despite the battlefield that was around her.

She sat up and looked around, realizing that she was in the middle of the city, right in the downtown shopping center of Haven, which was swarming with Grimm and panicking people.

When a dinosaur/bird/dragon Grimm that she had never seen before plucked an old man from his cabbage cart and ate him whole, she created an Ice Glyph under it and created giant spires of ice under it, stabbing right through it and reducing it to smoke and ash.

The intensity of the attack made Weiss realize how much Remnant's atmosphere did for Dust as as she felt the crystals in her rapier brighten, supercharged with energy.

She like to her side she saw Conner lying next to her, snoring away despite the Grimm howling and screeching as they attacked.

"Conner, wake up! We need to get out of here right now!"

She used a Glyph to pull him up to his feet as his senses alerted him to the situation around him.

"What the- where the hell are we?"

Weiss grabbed his hand and created a line of Glyphs, heading in the direction of Haven Academy which was hopefully safer than the middle of the downtown area. "I'll explain later, but we're in my world."

They ran through the shopping center, but before they could reach the end, a loud explosion blew through the side of the mountain that the shopping center was attached to, tearing through the bridges that connected the buildings and causing the people who were running across them to fall to their deaths at the bottom of the ravines under Haven.

A winged Beringel wearing red armor with an omega symbol burned into its helmet flew through the giant while in the wall, banging its fists against its chest as it roared into the now empty space.

"Weiss," Conner stooped in his place, staring down the Beringel. "You see the symbol on the monkey's forehead? _That's Darkseid's crest."_

"So that's how Salem was able to destroy so much of Remnant. Her Grimm have been supercharged by his powers."

Conner cracked his knuckles. "For some reason, I feel recharged and like I've got energy to burn. We can take it."

The Beringel roared and flew at them.

"Well now it looks like we don't have much of a choice." Weiss grumbled, using Ice Glyphs to launch bolts of ice at its wings to try and ground it.

The Beringel dodged her Dust with a surprising amount of grace and flew directly at her.

Conner intercepted it and grabbed its wing, turning and slamming it on the ground. "HAAH!"

Weiss coated Myrtenaster in ice and ran to it while it was down, dealing quick strikes and making ice emerge all over its body.

Before she could get away, the Beringel turned and swatted her away like a fly with the hand that wasn't frozen, sending her tumbling into a fruit stand.

"Weiss!"

Conner tried to run back towards Weiss, but before he could, the Beringel caught his foot with its own and lifted him up before slamming him on the ground, leaving a sizable crater.

Grateful that her Aura had been recharged to overflowing by the Life Entity, Weiss picked herself out of the fruit stand and mixed a Wind Glyph with an Ice Glyph, sending a flurry of super sharp ice shards towards the Beringel, clipping its wings off in a matter of seconds.

It roared in pain and turned its attention back to Conner, who was still dazed from being slammed into the ground multiple times by an oversized monkey with anger issues.

 _"Don't even think about it."_ Weiss yelled as she ran across a line of Glyphs, Earth Dust ready to go.

Before the Beringel could grab him again, she turned slashed upwards into its arm, bringing up spires of rock from the ground as Myrtenaster arced.

The armor protected the Beringel and the rocks only served to fling it into the air, making Weiss realize that the armor would make it nearly impossible to beat if she didn't do something.

As the Beringel came down, it laced its hands together and slammed down on the ground, sending a shockwave through the floor the blew Weiss and Conner back.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, helping him back up.

"I'm good, but we gotta do something about that armor, otherwise we're not gonna be able to make a dent."

Weiss looked down, noticing that the Lightning Dust in Myrtenaster's revolver glowed rather invitingly.

"I have an idea."

Loading the Lightning Dust, Weiss drew out electricity with her right hand and flung it at the Beringel, electricity coursing through it as its armor acted as a conductor.

It paralyzed the Grimm, giving Weiss and Conner the perfect opportunity to strike.

Conner flew at the Bergingel and punched it hard in the back, sending it face first through the dirt.

Loading Fire and Wind Dust, Weiss used a Glyph to jump on its back and stab Myrtenaster through a weak point in the armor.

"Hyaah!"

Sending as much Fire and Wind Dust under the armor as she could, she created an explosion so powerful that both she and Conner were blown back, bright red energy being released into the sky as the Grimm dissipated into red smoke.

Weiss and Conner were blown onto the side of the mountain, their backs hitting the wall and knocking the wind out of them as Weiss' Aura shattered from the impact as they slid down the side.

As Weiss' vision started to fade to black, a single silver eye, framed by black hair which was tinged with red stared down at her in disbelief.

She fought to stay awake, but as she succumbed to unconsciousness, she could only mutter one word:

 _"...Ruby?"_

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

 ** _A.N. So it looks like there was a bit of an issue with the formatting of the chapter so hopefully this one will actually look right. Sorry about the mix-up I have no idea what happened but let's just say having to redo the formatting for 7,500 words again is not fun._**

 ** _Anyways, thanks so much for reading and_** until next time!


	26. Awkward First Impressions

"C'mon, Ice Princess, work with me here." Conner grunted, trying to navigate through Haven's wreckage, Weiss and her rapier in his arms.

The Grimm were still running loose, but the area he was in was calmer, looters starting to take advantage of the chaos and running wild, stealing brightly colored crystals which he guessed were Dust and other valuable items.

As he walked through Haven, the hair on his arms stood up and he felt as if an electric current was going through him. Weiss' world seemed to be supercharged by Dust, the energy lacing the air itself as he breathed it in.

He remembered what it felt like when she used her Glyphs on him when they beat Bernadeth. The feeling was similar, except it wasn't as dramatic or concentrated.

Their sun was yellow like Earth's, so he still had his powers, but even so, he could still feel the difference as his body absorbed the radiation.

Whatever caused Dust to naturally appear on Remnant was screwing with his Kryptonian physiology.

Gunshots echoed through the valley as he walked towards the giant school-looking facility which was across the cliff side, the bridges that connected them destroyed in the fighting.

Conner remembered Weiss saying something about an academy, so he figured it was the best place to go while she recovered. He didn't like having to walk to get there, but flying or jumping there would attract unwanted attention from the Grimm and maybe the people too.

His enhanced hearing picked up some voices coming from the direction of the academy, so he walked faster, hoping that the people were the Huntsmen that Weiss had talked about.

"...That's strange. I thought the report had said that the south sector hadn't been cleared yet. Where are all the Grimm?" A high pitched voice piped up from across the shopping center.

Conner stepped forward, stepping on a stray bag of chips as he did so, trying to close the considerable distance between him and the voices.

"Wait, I think I heard something from across the parking lot."

He froze.

 _How the hell did she hear me?_

"Across all that rubble? Maybe it was a rat or something."

"No, it was definitely a person."

Weiss stirred in his arms, her eyebrows creased as she dreamed. "Ruby...Blake...Yang."

The girl gasped, her pace switching from walking to running while the other two followed her, quickly making their way over to him.

"Weiss? Weiss are you there?!"

"She's here? Blake, you can't be serious. It's been months since she disappeared."

"I heard her. I wouldn't forget the sound of her voice."

Relief flooded through him.

 _They're Weiss' friends._

"C'mon Ice Princess, we're almost there."

He started walking in the direction of their voices, heading towards a clearing that was located in front of the academy.

When he walked out from behind a particularly big pile of rubble, he saw three girls around his age standing across the clearing from him.

The first wore a red hood and cape with a look that would've made her fit in great with Green Arrow's crew, her silver eye bright and observant. A weird looking red sniper rifle was in her arms, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

The second had a clever in one hand and a katana in the other, a ribbon attached to the latter. Her bright yellow eyes were almost cat-like, but when he noticed the cat ears on her head, he realized that she was more cat-like than he originally thought.

The last had long blonde hair and lilac eyes, reminding him of Black Canary, except with a mechanical left arm and bright yellow gauntlets on both.

When they saw him, their eyes immediately zeroed in on the unconscious girl in his arms.

Realizing how suspicious he looked he tried to break the ice.

"'Sup?"

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say as the blonde girl's hair lit on fire, her eyes turning blood red as she shot energy bullets out of her gauntlets and launched herself at him, barely giving him time to jump out of the way.

"Get away from her!"

She was incredibly fast as she ran after him, and just by looking at her he knew that a single punch would hurt like hell, so for his and Weiss' sake, he tried to get away.

"Would you calm down? I'm not your enemy here!"

The sound of gunfire distracted him and he got a few rounds in the back from Cat Girl and Little Red Riding Hood before dodging another fireball from the Yellow Canary.

"Let our friend go and we promise not to kill you." Little Red Riding Hood warned.

Yellow Canary faked him out and shot another fireball round at his back, making him grunt as he felt the impact on his back.

 _Make that Yellow Dragon._

He jumped as far away as he could and set Weiss down, making sure that there were no other Grimm or people in the area as he stood in front of her, ready to go no holds barred against the crazy girls.

"Last chance to let me explain, Blondie." He cracked his knuckles, getting ready for a fight. "Weiss is my friend, I would never hurt her. _Ever_."

"Weiss has been missing for three months and all of a sudden you show up with her unconscious? Not a chance."

"Leave before we make you wish you'd been killed by the Grimm." Blake asserted, her katana back in its gun configuration, pointed directly at Conner's head.

He sighed, knowing that he had been in Weiss' world all of an hour and he had already made someone want to kill him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

He jumped up and slammed his fist into the ground, sending out shockwaves which blew the crazy girls back.

Faster than his eyes could follow, Little Red Riding Hood turned into a mass of rose petals and appeared behind him, slashing him in the back with a giant scythe that he guessed was the complete version of the sniper rifle that she had used earlier.

He tumbled forward, recovering by moving into a roll. He turned and leaped to punch Cat Girl, only for his fist to pass through her as if she was a ghost, her body turning to shadow as the real Cat Girl slashed another arc across his back, sending him face first into a brick wall.

Yellow Dragon appeared in front of him and punched him in the stomach, the force from her weird bullets and her sheer strength sending him flying.

As he caught himself he saw more Grimm start to fly up from the ravine below, probably drawn to their yelling and fighting.

"Blake! Take care of the Grimm! Yang keep him busy! I'll get Weiss!"

Little Red Riding Hood turned into a bunch of petals and surrounded Weiss, turning her into petals too as they pulled back.

"Weiss!"

Conner tried to go after her, but the blonde girl stopped him in his tracks, launching another round at him which he quickly blocked.

"You wanna play Blondie? Let's play." He ground out, launching himself at her and punching her in the stomach.

Yang flew backwards, her Aura wavering as she recovered from the intensity of the attack.

 _Does he have some sort of super strength Semblance?_

She still had plenty to spare, but a single punch did more damage than a blow from Elm or Nora's hammers.

She popped the empty rounds out of Ember Celica and loaded new ones, readying her fighting stance. "Bring it, Muscles."

️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️ ️❄️

The sound of Yang's shot gauntlets was the first thing that Weiss had heard as she woke up.

Still drowsy from getting knocked out after her Aura broke, she tried to get up, only for a pair of arms to help her up into a sitting position.

"It's alright, Weiss, we've gotcha." Ruby assured her, Crescent Rose in its sniper rifle configuration next to her.

Barely able to open her eyes, she followed where the rifle was pointed only for surprise and anxiety to shock her system back to full consciousness.

"What the- Yang! Conner! Stop!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Yang and Conner were in a full out brawl, neither side holding back as they evenly exchanged blows.

Blake was off to the side fighting off the remaining Grimm as the two went at it, actively trying to kill each other.

Yang launched a volley of kinetic rounds, the salvos streaming towards Conner as he tried to block, eventually blown back by the intensity of it.

She launched herself at him once more only for him to block with his forearms crossed as he tried to stand back up, using the strength in his legs to push her back, a shockwave pulsing through the ground as both forces met. Eventually Conner was able to push her back, sending her tumbling before she caught herself and pushed herself into a standing position out of a roll.

Yang loaded her shot gauntlets and shot forward a pair of sticky bombs which attached themselves to his arm. He stared at them curiously before realizing what they were, charging at her at superhuman speed after that.

"What the-"

He slammed the part of his arm with the explosive on it to her side, detonating it and sending the both of them flying in opposite directions.

They both collided into the buildings behind them, sending up clouds of dust.

"Yang!" Ruby and Blake cried, with the latter still fighting off a pack of Beowolf Grimm.

Both of the brawlers picked themselves out of the wreckage and charged at each other once more, Yang's hair glowing with fire as her Semblance activated.

She looked angry, and Conner's smirk did nothing to help the matter.

They both pulled back their fists, ready to punch the other into oblivion.

"Yang! Conner! Stop fighting this instant!"

Conner and Yang both stopped mid-punch, their faces contorting in confusion as their fists were mere inches away from each other.

"Weiss? What's wrong?" Conner asked, not dropping his fighting stance.

"Weiss! You're awake! And why can't I beat him up?"

The Huntress in question stood up, grabbed Myrtenaster and used two Gravity Glyphs to force the brawlers away from each other, using another Glyph to jump between them.

"I know it's confusing right now, but the last thing we need is for you two to be fighting." She turned to Conner, putting Myrtenaster back on her side. "Conner, these are my teammates, Ruby, Blake, and Yang. Girls, this is Conner, he's a…" Weiss struggled to find the right word for what exactly their relationship was. "...friend. I met him on the other side of the portal that I was sucked into the last time that we saw each other. I wish I could explain more, but right now we have more pressing matters."

As if on cue, a Sphinx Grimm covered in red armor with Darkseid's omega symbol on its forehead came flying in through the opening in the mall that they were in.

It looked like the rest of its pack had been decimated by Blake, with only the slightly battered Sphinx left to support Salem's attack on Haven.

Ruby turned Crescent Rose back into its scythe configuration. "We can talk about what happened later. Right now, we need to make sure that Haven is still standing."

"Hehe." Yang cracked her knuckles. "C'mon, Muscles, let's see if you can keep up."

Conner flew up in the air, turning her smug look into one of awe. "I don't think I'm the one who's gonna be struggling."

Regaining her composure, she shook her head. "Let's find out."

They both charged at the Sphinx, punching it at the same time send it tumbling back into a wall, its armor clanging against the floor.

"Hope you're not rusty, Weiss." Blake called, shooting Gambol Shroud towards the roof of the building, pulling herself over the Sphinx and dealing quick strikes across its wings.

"Got a plan, Ruby?" Weiss asked, giving Myrtenaster's revolver a generous spin.

"The armor doesn't cover its underbelly. If we wanna kill it we need to attack its weak spot."

Weiss loaded Gravity Dust. "One step ahead of you."

Gravity Glyphs appeared around the Sphinx, making it float up in the air as its wings pounded harshly against the sides of the building, trying to free itself from her pull.

She wasn't in the greatest shape after being thrown into a fruit stand, but she could manage a few Gravity Glyphs for the time being.

"We've got to ground it!" Blake shouted, using Gambol Shroud to swing on top of the Grimm, striking its back as she ran up its wings.

The armor on its wings didn't budge and the creature roared, the sheer sound waves blowing back Blake breaking through Weiss' Glyphs.

She back flipped away with the grace of a cat as she hit the floor, Conner and Yang providing some cover for her as she did so.

"It's armor is ridiculous." Blake commented, jumping over to where Weiss and Ruby were.

The Sphinx opened its mouth and released a blaze so powerful it blew both Yang and Conner back to the others' position, effectively scorching his shirt as he didn't have Aura to protect his clothes from the fire.

"What the- hey!" He looked down to see that his shirt was in tatters from the fire. "That was my shirt you oversized pigeon! Damn monster." He grumbled, pulling off the tattered cloth, leaving his torso bare.

Weiss' face turned a bright red as she looked away, annoyed by his audacity while Ruby just giggled. Blake rolled her eyes while Yang whistled at him. "Nice scars, Muscles."

Conner ignored her comment and peered over at Crescent Rose. "How sharp is that scythe?" He asked Ruby.

She smirked, loaded a Gravity Dust round into it. "You read my mind."

"Blake, Yang! Ground it!"

Yang fired kinetic rounds into the ground, using the momentum to shoot herself over to the other side of Sphinx. Blake shot Gambol Shroud and swung it around the the Grimm, wrapping the ribbon around its wings, forcing them up and rendering them useless.

"Conner! Weiss! Keep it from moving!"

Conner leaped onto its back and grabbed ahold of its maw, pulling up so it couldn't its mouth to shoot anymore fireballs while Weiss used Ice Glyphs to freeze the lower half of its body.

Ruby focused in on the small area of unprotected feathers where the wings met the back of the creature. She pulled back and pulled the trigger as she threw her scythe, Crescent Rose cutting clean through the wings, leaving two big holes on its back through the armor.

She held out her arm, revealing a silver bracelet with a purple ring going through it. The purple ring glowed and a ring at the bottom of Crescent Rose glowed as well, reversing its trajectory and bringing it back to Ruby in the same way that Maria's own scythes used to do.

"Weiss! Blake! Get the holes in its armor!"

The Sphinx struggled as it broke out of the ice and tried to open its mouth, but couldn't as Conner was still holding it tight.

Yang attached multiple sticky bombs to its legs and detonated it, breaking its legs from under it and immobilizing it.

Loading Fire Dust, both Weiss creates two Glyphs in the air which they used to propel themselves off of, driving their swords into the Sphinx's back, creating a giant explosion which blew all of them back, breaking their Auras in the process.

Ruby used her Semblance and turned into a flurry of rose petals, catching her team in the petals while Conner sailed past her, getting flattened against the wall behind them.

She put her team down, smiling sheepishly at Conner who groaned in pain, peeling himself off the wall. "Hehe, sorry about that. I'm still working out the kinks on that technique."

He brushed some debris off his shoulder, giving Weiss a once over to make sure that she was alright. "I'm good, I don't have an Aura like you guys do but it takes a lot to put me down."

Team RWBY sheathed their weapons, taking in the hero from another world before them. "So that portal you fell through all those months ago, where did you go?" Ruby asked, sadness lacing her tone as her once bright silver eyes were now darker and seemed to have aged about a decade.

"It's complicated. Let's get somewhere safer and I'll tell you everything that happened." Weiss decided.

"Agreed. We cleared the Grimm but we don't know how structurally sound these buildings are." Blake added.

"Let's head out and meet up with the others back at Haven Academy." Ruby decided. "But before we do-"

She cut herself off and used her Semblance to rush at Weiss, practically tackling her in a hug.

Blake and Yang joined in right after, the war-torn Huntresses smiling more in that moment than they had in a while.

"We're so glad you're back, Weiss." Yang sniffled as she fought back tears. "You have no idea how scared we were when you disappeared that day. We thought you were-"

"We're just glad you're okay."

Weiss let the tears stream down her face, remembering the many times that she had thought that she would never get the chance to hug her teammates again.

"I missed you so much."

🌹❄️🐱🔥🌹❄️🐱🔥🌹❄️🐱🔥🌹❄️🐱🔥🌹❄️🐱🔥

After the adrenaline of the battlefield had worn off and Weiss was able to get a proper look of her teammates, she realized that much more had happened while she was gone than she initially wanted to believe.

They all sat in one of the dorm rooms of Haven Academy, with plans to meet up with the rest of the group later over lunch.

While they were only three months older apparently, their eyes and demeanors looked hardened and much older, as if they had seen things that had aged them twenty years in the time that she had been on Earth.

Not to mention the battle scars that blemished their bodies, making them look even more war-torn and battered than she had ever wanted to see them.

Blake seemed the least worse for wear, with only skin deep scars marring her arms and a fresh one marking the corner of her jaw, three jagged marks forming what looked to be a wound from a Sabyr's claw.

Yang, on the other hand, was now missing her left leg to match her mechanical right arm, though Weiss wouldn't have noticed had it not been for the rip in her jeans that showed the metal underneath. Her face and her hair however, remained unblemished.

But when Weiss' eyes landed on Ruby, she flinched and nearly looked away, but didn't out of respect for her partner. Only a single silver eye stared back at her, the other replaced by a cybernetic optical implant, like Maria's own.

Ruby smiled softly before nodding, confirming Weiss' fears. "Cinder and Neo got the best of me when we tried to stop the Fall of Atlas. A lot happened when you were gone, Weiss."

"Where were you all this time?" Yang asked, her voice soft after remembering the day her sister nearly died.

"What happened that day?" Blake continued. "Did he kidnap you?"

"Hey!" Conner's eyes narrowed. "I'm standing right here. You really think I would be conscious right now if I had tried to kidnap her?"

"It's a hell of a more logical explanation than the crap you tried to feed us." Yang bit back. "Why don't you-"

Sighing, Weiss held up her hand, "He's telling the truth. That night that I fell through the portal, I fell into a different dimension. It's a long story-"

"Tell us everything." Ruby insisted, knowing that what Conner and Weiss were saying was true, despite how outlandish and unbelievable it seemed. "And then we'll tell you what's been happening over here."

"As you can see…" Blake gestured towards Ruby's bionic eye and Yang's prosthetic leg. "A lot's happened while you were gone."

Conner snorted and crossed his arms, still shirtless from their fight with the Sphinx earlier, his various scars on full display. "It's not exactly like it was a cakewalk on our side either."

"Are there Grimm over there too?"

Weiss hesitated, knowing that while technically the answer was yes, it wasn't as simple as that.

"I think it's better if I explain from the beginning. It's complicated and even I don't understand it all." She decided. "I was training in the courtyard that night when I decided to experiment with Light Dust..."

As she recounted her adventures on Earth she realized how incredulity of it all, but as she thought about it, Remnant wasn't exactly lacking in that department either.

"-And then the Life Entity sent us back here. They said to go to where "the golden dragon lays to rest" and after remembering the history of Remnant and the Life Entity's connection to the god of light, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to go to the Domain of Light."

"Where Salem's war on Remnant began." Blake realized.

"It's probably where the concentration of Light Energy on Remnant is highest, so it'll be easier for another portal to be created through the Source Wall." Conner added, making Yang's eyes narrow. "Darkseid's probably planning an attack on Earth as we speak, so we need to get back and help the Justice League too."

"So you're really a half alien half human hybrid created in a lab? And you're like a superhero in one of Ruby's comics? With powers and everything?" She asked, still skeptical of his abilities.

He smirked and cracked his knuckles. "You wanna go a few rounds and find out, Blondie?"

Blake raised an eyebrow and Weiss rolled her eyes.

 _Those two are way too similar for this to end well._

Ember Celica extended over Yang's arms and she loaded kinetic rounds into them. _"Don't_ call me Blondie. My name's Yang."

He smirked. "The name's Conner then. Not Muscles."

She grumbled something under her breath and extended her hand. "Good to meet ya. And thanks for looking out for Weiss while she was in your world, it means a lot to us."

"To be honest," Conner put his hand on Weiss' head. "She was the one looking out for me. Saved my ass in a lot of sticky situations."

She huffed and pushed his hand off her head. "Evil aliens, genocidal time travelers, bounty hunters, and a crazy shapeshifter, to name a few."

Blake frowned, looking at Ruby's eye and Yang's leg. "Wish you were here to help us with our 'sticky situations'."

Weiss' face fell and Conner clenched his knuckles. "It's not her fault-"

She placed her hand on his, quieting him instantly. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by her teammates but they didn't say anything. "What exactly happened while I was gone? I was on Earth for what seemed like a month, but has it really been three months over here?"

"Atlas fell not too soon after you left. Mantle was still recovering from the last Grimm invasion when Salem and these insanely powerful armored Grimm started showing up." Blake started. "The red armor made them stronger, faster, and smarter. Not to mention with Ironwood going crazy, eventually even Atlas became overrun."

"She brought an army of Grimm and nearly brought down Atlas itself. " Ruby remembered.

"We barely escaped with our lives that night…" Yang shivered subconsciously. "And we were the lucky ones."

"Jaune…" Weiss realized, remembering her duel against Darkseid's Huntsman. "He didn't make it."

Ruby put her hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Penny found his sword and shield when she was doing perimeter scans after the battle. He's free."

Blake still looked uneasy. "So… Salem really has the power to turn people into Grimm after they die?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, at least... not necessarily. She captured the last of his and Adam's emotions before they died and molded them into Grimm, but the creatures that we fought weren't really them. Just...imitations."

Conner rubbed the newly formed scar on his abdomen, remembering the pain of being stabbed multiple times by Adam's Grimm. "Sure as hell felt real to me."

Weiss couldn't imagine fighting another Grimm person. "Has anyone else we know…"

Ruby shook her head. "No. Maria's in intensive care and we've all got scars for days, but no one else has died."

"Team SSSN and Team CFVY held Vacuo and right now they're stable. We're thinking that Salem's going to focus her attention on Vale now that she has what she wants."

"We're planning on heading back to Vale to make sure that the Relic is secure. We don't know where it is, but neither does Cinder and we're gonna use that to our advantage. Right now, Cinder has the Lamp of Knowledge but it's out of energy."

"Out of energy?" Conner asked, still not familiar with the rules of the Relics.

"The Relics are incredibly powerful objects, but like the ring that Green Lantern wears, they need to recharge after they're used, or at least, they have their limits. The Lamp of Knowledge only has three questions and the Staff of Creation can only be used to create one thing at a time." Weiss explained.

Ruby nodded. "Cinder used the Lamp's last question so now it needs to recharge for another hundred years."

"Do you know what she asked?"

Yang shook her head. "She didn't tell us, but the look in her eye made it seem like she didn't get the answer she wanted."

Conner hummed, picking up the map of Remnant that lay on a coffee table at the foot of the bed. "Wait...Atlas fell but the Relic is still safe? That doesn't make any sense."

"Penny, the new Winter Maiden, the only person who is capable of accessing the Relic, managed to get away before Salem could try and capture her. She's been safe ever since."

"So even though it's been overrun by Grimm, we managed to evacuate as many people as we could and sealed off the Relic. After we secure Vale we're planning on heading back to Atlas to see if we can try and clear it out."

"You said that this Life Entity said there was a chance to reverse the damage done by Salem and Darkseid. What do you think it means?" Blake asked, trying to connect the dots.

"Half of the planet is in pieces because of them, we'd need a time machine to fix this." Yang commented dryly, making Weiss freeze as an idea struck her.

She turned to Conner. "You don't think..."

Catching on to her train of thought, he nodded. "After everything we've seen, especially if the Life Entity likes you, it's possible."

Ruby's eyes flickered between Conner and Weiss. "What? What's possible?"

"Going back in time and resetting everything to before Darkseid met Salem. Making sure that he can't influence our world. But the Life Entity also said that we have to save Remnant before we can." Weiss remembered.

Yang scoffed. "Piece of cake then."

"Can't be that bad." Conner stated. "Just because someone's immortal doesn't mean they can't be killed. It's been done before."

Blake deadpanned. "The definition of immortal literally means someone who can't die."

"Who says she's really immortal?"

Ruby, Blake, and Yang all looked at each other, their faces bleak as they remembered Jinn's story.

"Let's just say we have it on good authority that she is." Weiss quickly interjected, trying to keep her teammates from beating the clueless hero senseless.

He shrugged. "Darkseid's immortal, too. Hasn't stopped us from beating him before."

Yang huffed. "Must've gone great considering how much he's screwed us over so far."

Conner and Weiss remained silent, both having seen the damage that had been dealt to one of the remaining safe havens on Remnant.

"Going back in time…" Ruby tried to wrap her mind around the idea. "We'd have to find a way to keep Darkseid from meeting Salem. Do you know how he was able to do it the first time?"

Weiss thought to back to the first time that Remnant had made contact with Earth. "It was most likely when the Grimm Pools showed up in Metropolis. If I was able to use Light Dust to open a portal, he probably got ahold of one of the Pools and used it to talk to Salem."

"Lashina and Knockout." Conner remembered, his fists clenching. "It can't be a coincidence that they were in Metropolis at the same time. They're probably the ones who collected it for him."

"So if we go back in time and keep them from getting it…" Weiss hypothesized.

"We'll stop Darkseid from giving Salem more power and Remnant will be saved!" Ruby finished.

"But why do we have to save Remnant now before we go back in time? Why can't we just do it now?" Blake questioned.

Weiss shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's because there's too much darkness on Remnant and it needs to be balanced out… or maybe the Life Entity is doing this as a test. Either way, Salem needs to be stopped."

"What about Haven? Who's gonna protect it while we're gone?" Conner asked, remembering how many Grimm he had seen, and how broken down the buildings were.

"It takes Salem time to gather enough Grimm to mount an attack. It'll be at least a few weeks before we get another attack that big."

"And Pietro has been working with Ren to see if he can use his Semblance to create a cloaking device to keep away the Grimm." Blake explained. "If it goes well, we'll be able to keep entire settlements safe and undetectable."

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's hit the road."


End file.
